Taken
by kjwrit
Summary: What if Sookie had been snatched out of Bon Temps before ever laying eyes on Bill Compton? How would the lives of the other Supernaturals been changed by her absence and what would happen if she was suddenly thrust right back in? AU/OOC
1. Chapter One

**A/N: So, I think I can safely say that I have undiagnosed ADHD. The proof is in my file of unfinished word documents, but the story line for this one hit me like I'd hit (tap; grope; all-around molest) a nekkid Askars, so I went with it. I have no idea of how often I'll update it because I want to finish my other two, but I'll come back to this one whenever I need a breather from them.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just switching it up. **

Chapter One

**EPOV**

I quelled the overwhelming urge to shred everything on top of my desk, the desk included, and sat back in my chair rubbing my eyes. After a thousand years, it was quite possible I'd come down with my very first headache. It had been just over one month since the bombing in Rhodes. One month since my then Queen, Sophie Anne LeClerq, and most of her retinue perished in the bombing at the Pyramid of Giza. I too would have perished had it not been for the Ancient Pythoness' warning to take my child and leave the hotel immediately. I didn't question her; _no one_ ever questioned her, so I grabbed Pam and left. When we learned of the bombing upon rising the next night, I had another message waiting from the ancient oracle.

_I was to become King of Louisiana and Arkansas and my refusal to do so would be to the detriment of all Vampire alike._

I felt she was being a little dramatic at the time and while I could have been king all along, it was never something I'd wanted, much less wanted to be king of two states. I'd liked my little corner of the state with just enough power and not as much hassle, but since _no one_ questioned her (me included) I was now stuck as the King of both states. After seeing the financial shambles Sophie Anne had left Louisiana in, the majority of the evidence now lying on top of my desk, it was a wonder we were ever kept afloat and now I had to unfuck it all.

_Twice._

_For two states._

With Mr. Cataliadades' death in Rhodes, I also had to go through every contract page by page to know where I stood with everything else and not only did I have to deal with that, but after the successful bombing in Rhodes, the Fellowship were gaining momentum; both in popularity and sheer audacity. 'Churches' were popping up all over the state and it wasn't so long ago they'd managed to take out Russell Edgington's Second, Betty Jo Pickard right in their own Supe Bar, Josephine's. Before that, two vampires had been left out to burn at dawn on the lawn at another 'church' in Dallas, so I knew it was only a matter of time before they set sight on Louisiana as their next target.

Thanks to Katrina, we'd already been considered a weakened state, but my rule was very new and even though I was a thousand years old and a proven warrior, the sharks were circling the water; Felipe de Castro in particular and if I showed any weakness whatsoever, he would pounce. It was only a matter of time as it was.

It was worrisome, but not unmanageable, especially since I'd made my child Pam my second and called an old friend to take over running Area Five for me. He would be arriving in another few weeks' time, so until then Pam was running back and forth. On this night, she was in Shreveport (probably having _dinner_ if I was reading our stretched bond correctly) and I'd made it clear I wasn't receiving any visitors. I left the details of my upcoming coronation up to Pam because I needed to get the financials straightened out. Besides, holding Court wasn't as entertaining without Pam there to make fun of people, so I was both surprised and aggravated when I heard the knock on my office door.

I was only further enraged when the door opened before I could say anything and stood up, ready to take out my frustrations on whoever chose to disregard my orders, when I froze where I stood.

"Your Majesty," he nodded. A full bow from him wasn't required due to his own royal status and while I was shocked to see him here after so many years, I was even more shocked by his 'guest's' appearance.

"Niall," I greeted formally. I gestured to the chairs in front of my desk and took my seat again, trying to keep my face stoic as I said, "It's been a great many years since I've last seen you." In fact, it was at the end of the war between the Vampire and the Fae. I'd heard through the grapevine they were warring amongst themselves lately and it only made the presence at his side all the more vexing.

"It has," he agreed. I finally tore my eyes from the other and took in Niall's appearance. He was never anything but impeccably dressed, even in battle, but now the clothes he wore were tattered and ripped; smatters of blood and soot on both of them and he wasted no time in saying, "I've come to call in your debt."

_Fuck. _

Niall had saved my life once, during that same Vampire/Fairy War. I'd been wounded in battle by a silver blade and while I'd managed to get away, being much younger back then, I wasn't healing very quickly. I'd lost a lot of blood and dawn was coming, but I had no strength left to go to ground when Niall came upon me. I was sure my final death was only moments away when, without saying a word, he'd reached down and grabbed onto my shoulder, popping me into a nearby cave where the sunlight couldn't reach me. When I'd asked him why, he'd said it was because he'd witnessed the mercy I'd shown his own kin. She was ripe with child and when I managed to disarm her, her arms immediately wrapped around her swollen belly and she turned her back on me to try and block her unborn child from the blow of my sword. In that moment she'd reminded me a little of my human wife Aude, swollen with one of our own children, and in my youth as a vampire, I had yet to master my emotions, so I had let her go.

I shook the memory from my thoughts and stared back at Niall over my steepled fingers, saying, "I'm a bit busy at the moment. If you haven't heard, I've just become King of two states and Nevada is scenting blood in the water." My eyes were drawn back to his 'guest', which was more like a prisoner gauging the restraints on her wrists, ankles, and mouth. I knew it was only hopeful thinking, but I asked anyway, "Is she a snack you've brought for me?" I figured she must have been one of Brendaen's fighters if Niall was holding her as a prisoner, but I also knew they valued their females above all others since their race was slowly dying out.

"NO!" he yelled completely enraged and standing on his feet. "_SHE_ is of the royal line. _SHE _is my great-granddaughter and you will show her every respect that comes with being a Brigant."

_SHE_ rolled her eyes at his side and scoffed behind her gag and I felt the corner of my lip twitch upwards before I could stop it.

"I wasn't aware you show your familial affections by binding your relative's hands and feet." Padded cuffs were attached to her wrists and ankles with a short length of chain running between them, like you'd see in any prisoner transport in the country. Granted, hers were a bit nicer, but the gag seemed to be a bit much, so I smirked, asking, "Why is she gagged? Does she _bite_?"

He glanced at her and sighed, "Sometimes…or spits, among other things."

I had no time for cryptic fairies, royalty or not, and was just about to ask Niall what he wanted from me, when he said, "I'm leaving her with you."

"Really?" I asked excitedly. It had been many many years since I'd had a Fae and my fangs dropped just thinking about it.

_Pam was going to be so pissed she missed out._

"Yes," he trained his harsh gaze back on me. "I need you to protect her and keep her safe until I can return for her."

My disappointment was obvious, but now that I knew for certain I wouldn't be having her for dinner, I was tired of the conversation and my eyes flicked back down onto the paperwork on my desk as I dismissed him with, "I'm a _King, your majesty,_ not a _babysitter._"

My gaze was drawn back in an instant hearing, "So, you, the great Eric Northman, have no honor then?"

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…_

My honor was something I prided myself on, not only as a vampire, but as a human man as well. "From who or what am I protecting her from?" I bit out.

The bastard's lip twitched up knowing he had me while he replied, "Everything, but from the Fae and Demons in particular." My raised eyebrow was enough incentive for him to elaborate a little, admitting, "She is only one-eighth Fae, but as you know, Brendaen wants to rid the world of hybrids. He learned of my great-granddaughter's presence within our realm and attempted to abduct her, so I need you to keep her safe while I deal with the threats there." Before I could say anything else, he stood, saying, "And I'm needed back there now. Just remember: Treat her like the royalty she is; keep her safe from the Fae and Demons; and no feeding on her."

"What if she _wants_ to be bitten?" I asked and earned myself a gag covered scoff from her.

He shook his head, saying, "She won't."

I could tell he was getting ready to pop from the room, so I quickly asked, "Why Demons? And why is she bound?"

He appeared to want to give her some gesture of affection, with his hand reaching out to touch her, but she flinched away from him with a glare aimed his way, so he pulled his hand back and turned to me, answering, "It was a Demon that killed her grandfather, my son Fintan, and the Demons will be looking for her, just as the Fae who are aligned with Brendaen. Trust none of them." His lip was back to twitching upwards as he added, "As for why she's restrained, feel free to set her free and find out for yourself," and with that he popped from the room.

_Fucking Fairies._

She didn't look especially dangerous. In fact, underneath the gag, anger, and disdain she was wearing, she was quite beautiful, but then all Fae were so it was to be expected. She stood there silently while my eyes traveled over her body (it was a very nice body) until they finally came to rest on her eyes once more. I would think she'd have been afraid, having been left with a strange vampire, but if I had to guess, I'd say she was bored. In the next moment her eyes stayed locked onto mine and a look of concentration came across her face before being replaced with surprise and she quickly rearranged her features to once again merely look bored.

I found it odd since there weren't many that could stand firm under a vampire's gaze, especially from one as old and powerful as me, but when I glanced at the clock and saw there was only about an hour until dawn, it only then occurred to me that I couldn't just leave her in one of the vacant bedrooms in the palace. If the threat against her was real, and I had no doubt it was if Niall chose me to be her protector as repayment for my debt, then the only safe place for her to be in the palace was in my private chambers. It was a new addition I'd had built as soon as I became King, not willing to trust my safety in Sophie Anne's old resting area since she'd had a habit of taking so many pets. The walls and ceiling were five solid feet of concrete with layers of silver and iron throughout. In addition to every security measure known to mankind, one of the most powerful witches alive warded it specifically to keep out anyone, save those who have had my blood. Since that only consisted of my Maker and Pam, it seemed the best option at the time, but now…

Our blood was sacred. I didn't share it with anyone, but now I would have to share it with _her_ if I was going to keep her safe and it pissed me off.

I stood up from the desk and threw the door open, barking out, "Come."

My resting area consisted of three bedrooms with attached bathrooms and an open living area, so she would at least have her own room. My room required both retinal and thumbprint scans as well as a pin code to enter, so I wasn't worried about her trying to do me any harm while I was dead for the day and I was sure Pam had something down there she could change into. If not, she could always wear one of my shirts.

I was still striding along trying not to get too worked up over the thought of my little Fae in nothing but my shirt when I turned around, realizing I couldn't hear her behind me.

_Because she wasn't._

_Fucking fairies._

I zipped back to my office finding her standing in the same exact spot and my growing aggravation tinted my voice as I asked, "Do you not understand English?"

Shit. Maybe she didn't understand English. Niall hadn't told me anything about her and only mentioned she'd been staying in the Fae realm. If all she spoke was Fae, then we were shit out of luck, but I figured she might be able to answer me if she wasn't gagged and asked, "If I remove your gag, are you going to behave?"

I remembered him saying she sometimes bit and spit, but I wasn't necessarily opposed to her biting and I even a list of places on my body where her spit was more than welcome. Seeing her nod her response told me she _did_ understand English and it just furthered my aggravation knowing she'd knowingly disobeyed my order. I didn't know what I wanted to do more; snap her neck or fuck her through the wall, but I took a few steps forward and pulled the silk scarf from her mouth to get an explanation, when it hit me.

_Her scent._

I knew Niall had the ability to mask his scent, but she clearly didn't and all I wanted to do was fuck her and bite her and rub myself all over her. He'd said she was only one-eighth Fae, so hopefully his scent had just transferred onto her, but if this was how she smelled all of the time, we were fucked.

_She would definitely be fucked. By me._

I didn't wait for her to say anything and just grabbed onto the chains holding her ankles together, ripping them apart with my bare hands. She gasped above me, but I was too busy trying to contain my urges and held onto the chain that kept her wrists together and set off for my private quarters while dragging her along behind me.

_Downwind._

If she said anything, I didn't hear her and I told the guards that I wasn't to be disturbed for the rest of the night as we passed them by. They looked shocked that I was taking her to my resting place and they were right to look that way. It wasn't something I'd ever done, nor would I again, but in this circumstance, I had no choice. My fangs had yet to ascend after they'd dropped earlier at the thought of my little Fae snack, so when we reached the entrance where the wards began, I pierced my fingertip and then stuck my bleeding finger into her mouth before she could comprehend what I was doing. It wasn't much, but it was enough that I could feel her shock and horror and for some reason, I found myself explaining, "The room is warded to keep out anyone who hasn't had my blood."

She still felt shocked, but her horror lessened as I continued to drag her inside. I stopped outside of Pam's room and took out some things for her to wear and then brought her into the next bedroom. No one had ever used it until now and I pulled the cuffs from her wrists and ankles, threw the clothes into her arms, and pointed at the bathroom door, ordering, "Shower."

Her only reply was a cocked eyebrow and she let the clothes drop to the floor as she crossed her arms across her chest (alerting me to the fact she had and even nicer body than I'd been aware of thanks to her loose fitting clothes). She stared back at me defiantly without a hint of fear and if I wasn't on the verge of literally fucking her to death, I might have been amused. As it was, I was livid and only inhaling through my mouth when necessary to speak, but I realized I didn't know her name yet either and asked, "What shall I call you? Princess Brigant, while fitting, is a bit of a mouthful."

"A cab," she deadpanned.

"Funny," I deadpanned back at her. "Get in the shower," I growled. She was truly testing my willpower and my patience. I didn't have the manpower or resources to take on the Fae, as well Nevada and the Fellowship, so killing her just now wasn't an option.

"Why?" she asked. "If I smell so damn bad, then feel free to kick my stinky ass to the curb."

I shook my head at her foolishness wondering what in the hell Niall was good for. You'd think, as her great-grandfather, he'd at least have the common sense to warn his kin about just how tasty their kind are to vampires, but then she didn't have the sense to not antagonize and angry, hungry, horny thousand year old vampire, so I decided it was time for her to learn a lesson. I picked her up and immediately learned why she'd been bound when her fists and feet starting flying, hitting and kicking me with all of her strength, but I just tossed her into the tub and turned the shower on while she yelled every obscenity at me she could think of.

_She didn't know many, so maybe that could be her lesson from Pam._

"What is wrong with you?" she screeched.

"The more apt question is what is wrong with you? You don't seem to know that the Fae are considered vampire crack, so you'd better hope your great-grandfather's scent washes off or else you're likely to find yourself drained."

She visibly blanched at my statement, but the steam that was rising in the room only made her scent more concentrated, as though I was slowly being wrapped in a blanket of fairies, so I left her there and returned to the living area, sending a message to Pam that she must return to the palace early. Fangtasia had been losing money over the last couple of years, despite the crowds every night, but once we'd had no choice but to leave Long Shadow in charge, it was hemorrhaging cash. He'd blamed my absence from that god awful throne every night, so Pam had gone to interview replacements for us both, but now with my added Fae headache, I needed her here with me.

I left my quarters and retrieved some food for her to eat and heard the shower turn off upon my return. Within a few minutes she appeared in the room and I steeled myself and inhaled deeply, grateful to find the concentration of her scent had indeed diminished, leaving behind a nice sweet, and most importantly, _bearable_ top note.

I was expecting more of her outrage, so I was surprised by her soft spoken request of, "Please. Let me go."

"What is your name?" I countered. There was no way I would be letting her go, but I needed to call her something.

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" she asked hopefully.

Her long blond hair was quickly drying in waves down her back thanks to the fire I'd lit. It was something I'd always enjoyed as a human and even though it was no longer a necessity for heat, I found the flames soothing. Standing there, with something other than anger on her face, she was even more beautiful, but I had no need to lie to her and answered, "No." She'd been present when Niall spoke of the danger she was in merely for being his kin and one would think she'd be grateful for the protection, so I added, "You know you'd likely be killed not long after you were set free. Brendaen and his fighters aren't known to show mercy. You are safe here."

Her anger was back as she took a step forward and scoffed again, saying, "You just told me I was in danger of being drained. How am I safe here? With _you_?"

"Your Fae scent has lessened. You are in no danger here," I answered immediately.

Why was I humoring her? My previous statement might have very well been unwittingly a lie because if she kept challenging me, her safety was most likely in jeopardy, and yet I continued to sit there underneath her now looming stance.

I could feel the pull of dawn approaching and while her defiance admittedly amused me, I figured it was a good time for her to learn her second lesson of the night.

_When to back down._

Using a burst of vampire speed, I was centimeters from her face before she could register my movement, making her gasp and take a step back, as I warned, "It would be in your best interests to behave while under my charge. As you know, time moves differently in the Fae realm, so you might be here for a while. I will treat you fairly, but I will have no problem with chaining you and leaving you in a cell until your great-grandfather returns, be it a week from now or a decade. I was merely charged with keeping you _safe_, not _comfortable_."

She gasped, I'd thought at the possibility of her being shackled again, until she asked, "What do you mean _time moves differently_ in the Fae realm?"

"Just that," I answered. It's not like they sent out fucking calendars, although I'd happily have her pose for Fangtasia's calendar. She looked as though she was still waiting for clarification and I hated myself for giving it to her, adding, "I am unclear on the details. I only know there is a difference."

Her eyes dropped to her feet with her hands wringing together before her gaze met mine again when she asked, "What's today's date?"

I was tired of being the only one who was forthcoming in this conversation and countered, "What is your name?" When it appeared she wasn't going to answer, I added, "I'll tell you the date if you tell me your name."

She looked as though giving up any ground was physically painful to her, but she finally acquiesced, and answered, "Sookie."

She'd managed to surprise me again. In all of my one thousand years, I'd never come across anyone named Sookie before and figured it to be a Fae name. Seeing she was still waiting on an answer, I said, "It is October 30th."

Her face fell hearing the date, but I also knew days tended to blend into one another when held captive. I was curious as to how long she'd been with Niall, when she shook her head and whispered, "Five months…it only felt like weeks. Maybe a month or two."

Five months was a blink of an eye to a creature as old as I, but I suspected time moved much more slowly in the Fae realm than here, so I asked, "You've been with Niall since May then?"

"_Been with_?" she sneered. "I was _kidnapped_! _Snatched_ right out of my life! _Taken_ from everyone I'd ever loved so they've been left worrying themselves to death over me for _five months_!"

I could understand her anger, never having liked not having control over my own life, but I was still curious as to the timeline and clarified, "2005? You were taken by Niall in May of 2005?"

Her eyes went round when they met mine again and she whispered, "It…it's…2005?"

She fainted before I could answer her.

**I'm not sure on the timeline, but I'm using one I found online for the books and because there was no Sookie until now, I can't claim this will be a canon fic. I'll be changing the direction of everything from here on out, as well as changing some of the things that happened in the books. But…that's why they call it fanfiction. Also, my SVM knowledge ends with DITF, so keep that in mind as well. I refuse to read any more until the series is complete. That way if CH breaks up our favorite couple, in my mind, they have a happily ever after.**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: Yeah…so I got about another 1K words or so of All In done but this Sookie was screaming in my head, "Are you kidding me? You're writing about Christmas and puppies and **_**I'm**_** being held **_**prisoner**_**!**_**" **_**(She's quite loud.) So, I caved. It's a character flaw that also explains the redonkulous number of pets in my house, but I digress. I'm glad you all seem to like it so far and I was going to hold off posting this until I updated AI, but I figured something is better than nothing. I don't plan on rehashing every detail in alternate point of views, but you all need an explanation of what's been going on with Sookie leading up to her return. There's still more to the story that neither Eric nor Sookie are aware of, but we'll get to that eventually. Just like I'll get to updating AI or TOTD eventually…I swear.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just playing with Sookie's character flaw: stubbornness.**

Chapter Two

**SPOV**

_FIRE!_

My body startled hearing the voices of my guards outside of my bedroom doors, not sure that I'd heard them correctly, but hoping against hope that it was true and I'd finally have a chance to escape this strange land. I'd been held prisoner there for what felt like forever, but in reality couldn't have been more than a few weeks. I suspected I was somewhere to the far North since the sun moved around in the sky, but never seemed to truly set and my sleep schedule was off because of it. But none of that mattered now. I might have a chance to get away in the ensuing chaos if there really was a fire and for the first time since I'd been taken away from everyone I loved, everything I knew, I felt hope.

I remembered all too well the day my life changed forever. It had been like any other sunny spring day with Gran and I chitchatting over breakfast before I headed out to work. It was a balmy day in early June and I was wearing Merlotte's warm weather uniform of a white t-shirt with capped sleeves, black shorts, and sneakers. I remembered vainly thinking I'd been grateful to have had the chance to tan for a bit the day before and thought I'd looked especially good that day. It was the little things like that kept me in high spirits back then seeing as how I couldn't lead a normal life. My curse of telepathy made it so I could date anyone like a normal girl, which was why at twenty-five years old I was still a virgin, but I was still happy; sort of.

My mind was busy going through the list of errands I needed to attend to on my day off as I was walking through the parking lot at Merlotte's when I was suddenly grabbed from behind and in the next moment, I was here, in what would become my gilded cage for the following weeks. I was too busy freaking out to question how I'd come to be there and instead bit down on the hand that covered my mouth and thrust my elbows into the chest at my back while kicking my legs out in order to break free. I'd seen enough talk shows to know that if anyone ever attempts to kidnap you, you're to do whatever you need to in order to not be taken to a second location, but seeing as how it was too late for that, all I could do was fight for my life.

The arms holding me released me from their grasp and I grabbed a lamp off of a table at my side, spinning around and using it like a bat on my kidnapper, but my blow only met thin air as he literally poofed away with him rematerializing farther away, out of my reach. My mind was working frantically by that point with me questioning if he'd somehow managed to drug me without me knowing, but I threw the lamp at him and took off running in the opposite direction where I'd spotted French doors leading out to a balcony. I threw them open and screamed for help when my eyes landed on a trellis next to the ledge, but when I tried to throw my leg over the side, I couldn't. Tears streamed down my face with me looking like the world's most ridiculous mime as my hands searched the invisible barrier that surrounded the balcony, looking for a way through it to no avail. I eventually sunk down to the floor in defeat when I heard, "Sookie, I mean you no harm."

I looked up and saw my kidnapper staring back at me from the doorway with his hands held up in front of him and I felt empowered seeing the blood trickling down his arm from my bite. He might have some strange magical power, but the proof was in front of me that he could be harmed and I tucked that bit of knowledge away for later. I needed to find out what he wanted from me at the moment, so I asked, "What do you want? Why have you kidnapped me?" He flinched when I'd said the word 'kidnapped', but too bad. A spade was a spade and that was exactly what he'd done.

He turned sideways and gestured towards the room I'd just run out of saying, "Please. Come back inside and I will explain everything to you."

Seeing as how I couldn't escape from the balcony, I figured there had to be another way out of that room and waited for him to move further back before I warily followed along behind him. I kept one eye on him as the rest of me searched the room for a way out. There were several doors, one of which appeared to lead into a lavish bathroom, but I was betting the pair of tall ornately carved double doors I spotted along one wall would be the ones I needed to get through. My feet started slowly moving towards them as I said, "So, explain."

I wasn't sure if it was my movements or perhaps his magical powers included telepathy, but instead of explaining why he'd kidnapped me, he said, "You won't be able to get through the doors; at least, not right away."

I realized then that I hadn't tried to read his mind and I dropped my shields with my mind reaching out towards his, but all I could hear was something akin to white noise. Not quite like static or a hum, but something. In my nearly twenty-six years, I'd come across minds that were harder to read like my boss Sam, not that I ever really tried to read him. I'd had to leave jobs in the past thanks to the nasty thoughts of my bosses, so I did my best to stay out of Sam's head, but even when my shields slipped around him over the years, all I could really get from him was the occasional stray thought and the emotions he was feeling. There were a few customers whose thoughts were tinged red and snarly, but I'd never run across anyone like him before and before I had a chance to process it all, he offered, "I am Niall Brigant, Prince of the Sky Fae; a fairy."

_What?_

A fairy? Was he trying to tell me he was like Lafayette and therefore, I didn't have to worry about him trying to rape me?

"Like Tinker Bell?" I asked.

Other than the derogatory slang I would never tolerate, it was my only frame of reference and I felt my eyes go wide when he said, "Well, we are not the same as your human fairytales, but, yes, we are creatures of magic."

Maybe he was under the influence of whatever psychotropic drug that he'd managed to slip me because I felt myself laugh hysterically while I focused my mind, singularly concentrating on not believing in him so that he might die.

_I would have to remember to not clap in my glee if he did, lest he come back to life._

He looked back at me worriedly, but he certainly didn't look as though he was dying and he took a small step towards me, saying, "You are my great-granddaughter and you are in danger. It is why I have brought you here to my home."

His words shocked me to my core and I took a step towards him, shouting, "I most certainly _AM NOT_ you're great-granddaughter! I know my ancestry going back several generations and there is no mention of a Niall Brigant anywhere!"

Now that I'd been in his presence for a bit, I sensed that he was no danger to me, whether or not it was because he believed the nonsense he'd just spewed about being my great-grandfather, I didn't know. Clearly he was a sandwich shy of a full picnic basket because he couldn't have been more than fifty-five years old, tops, which would make him younger than my Gran. His expression softened as he took yet another step closer to me and explained, "My son Fintan had a human mother so he was only half-fairy. He mated with your grandmother, Adele Stackhouse, and your father and aunt were the products of their joining, but of the three offspring between them, you are the only one to contain the essential spark of the Fae. The Brigant are a powerful line and it shows since you are only one-eighth Fae."

Anger tinged my mind red as I lunged for him. How dare he say my Gran cheated on my Granddaddy? She was a good and kind lady; a good Christian woman with good Christian morals and would do no such thing and I wasn't about to stand there and listen to him say such horrible things about her. He must have not been expecting my attack because I managed to get a punch to his nose and a kick to his shin before he did the poofy thing again so that he was standing on the opposite side of the room where he said, "I see that you need some time to process all of this new information, so I'll leave you for now. There is clothing in the wardrobe for you to wear and food will be sent up shortly, but please know that what I've told you _is_ true and you are in grave danger because of it. However, I will keep you safe."

With that, he poofed out of the room and I ran to the doors, pulling on them with all of my might, but they wouldn't budge. The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins and I knew if it wasn't for my anger of what he'd said about Gran, I would probably fall apart right then, but Gran didn't raise any weeping willows. I was a strong southern woman and I'd figure a way out of this mess if it was the last thing I would do.

_At least that was what I'd thought at the time…_

The room he'd left me in was the most beautiful and luxurious bedroom I'd ever seen, much less been in. The furniture, bedding, carpet, and drapes were like nothing I'd ever seen before and were fit for a princess, which I _was not_, no matter what Prince Tinker Bell tried to tell me. The closet I found was full of beautiful gowns, all of which looked as though they would have fit me, but I refused to change out of my Merlotte's uniform, especially after I'd gone into the bathroom and saw the smudges of blood on my shirt from where I'd managed to do some damage to my kidnapper and preferred to wear them as my badge of honor. Because that's how I thought of him…

…_As my kidnapper._

I'd read enough books to know about Stockholm Syndrome and even though I'd seen enough weirdness while I was there that I couldn't explain away, like the invisible barriers and poof modes of transportation, I didn't believe for one moment that he was my kin.

Who would do that to their own flesh and blood?

I forced away thoughts of my Uncle Bartlett knowing what _he did_ to his own kin, but I was older now and I refused to be a victim again. I was a survivor and I _would_ survive this. Over the next several days, I met even more fairies and I'd come to allow myself to believe they were real. After all, it was only two years earlier when vampires revealed their existence to the world and as a telepath, I couldn't really expect that there weren't other types of creatures out there, but I did refuse to believe I was one of them. I'd even met one that claimed to be my cousin and Fairy Godmother of all things, but I refused to converse with any of them. I refused to do or say anything they asked of me and wished I had a serial number I could spout off along with my name and rank like I'd seen in those old World War II movies, but Claudine refused to give up and continued to visit me daily trying to coax me into talking to her. She'd even tried to convince me to change out of my bloody clothes after a few days and made the mistake of getting close enough to touch me, so I spit on her. Granted, it wasn't very ladylike and I was sure, under different circumstances, Gran would've been appalled at my behavior, but given they were my captors, I had a sneaking suspicion that even Gran might be willing to hock a loogie their way. Claudine was horrified which only delighted me more, but she ended up having the last say in the matter when she waved her perfectly manicured hand towards me and I looked down to see that my uniform had been replaced by one of their ridiculous gowns. It wasn't quite prom or bridesmaid material, but it certainly would be over the top for running to Wal-Mart or the library.

_It only infuriated me more._

I hated having every choice made for me regardless of what I wanted and their attempts to placate me with the finer things in life just showed that they didn't know me at all. My affections couldn't be bought and I refused to budge an inch on anything, but it was hard to stand firm whenever Niall would drop in and speak with me. He claimed he'd been warned by some ancient oracle that I was in danger and that was the reason why I'd been kidnapped. I didn't know if I believed him, but I certainly didn't care. It didn't make it right and all I wanted was to go home, but no matter how much I wanted to know more, I didn't ask. I never spoke to any of them after that first day knowing it was the only way to show my defiance, but the more time I spent there, the more I learned.

My telepathy seemed to be getting stronger because while I could only hear the white noise from them in the beginning, after more time I was able to hear stray thoughts. I rarely understood them since they seemed to think in their native language, but it was something and like with Sam, I could sense their emotions. It was how I knew they wouldn't harm me, no matter how much they seemed to want to at times, and it only made me more brazen.

They'd all come to learn not to get within striking distance of me because my anger over my situation only grew as the days passed by and I'd been physically lashing out whenever I could, but with my new strengths I could sense whenever one of them was about to poof into my room with my meals and eventually could pinpoint where in the room they would materialize. I tested myself over the following days and when I hadn't once guessed incorrectly, I took to standing in the center of the room with my weapon of choice (be it a perfume bottle, a bowl, or a hairbrush) and as soon as they'd appear, I would hurl the object at them. It only took a few bullseyes before my meals would just magically appear on my table all on their own.

The only times I would allow myself to wallow were when I was in bed. It was there that I let myself weep for everything I'd lost and berated myself for ever thinking I'd had a difficult life before. So what if I couldn't date, ever hope to get married or have children? At least I'd been free. I missed my Gran and even my numbskull brother. I missed my friends and my cat Tina and my job. My life hadn't been all that bad and I wanted it back more than anything else in the world and it was those thoughts that gave me the strength to continue fighting.

In my forced and preferred solitude, I would sometimes watch the others, from my balcony, out on the lawn practicing their sword fighting skills. It seemed an archaic form of weaponry, but even I could see the beauty in their fluid movements and when I was bored, I would try and mimic their actions even though I had no sword to hold. I refused everything given to me but food, knowing I would need to maintain my strength if I ever hoped to escape, and whenever I wasn't practicing my imaginary sword fighting, I would do stretches and strength training in my room. I felt stronger after only a few days, but I figured that was my own wishful thinking, however I needed all of the good thoughts I could hold onto to combat the overwhelming loneliness I felt. I knew I only had to call out to my guards that I wanted to speak to Niall or Claudine and they would be there; they would gladly speak to me for hours if I asked them to, but I hated them with a passion.

_I just wanted to go home._

So when I'd heard someone yell out there was a fire that night, I prepared myself to pounce on whoever came to get me. I wasn't sure if they'd use the door or their magic and kept my mind open and alert, but Niall must have known me well enough by now because the restraints magically appeared on my wrists and ankles just seconds before he materialized in my room, apologizing, "I'm sorry great-granddaughter, but I don't have the time to dodge your blows. The castle is being attacked and I must get you out of here."

I disregarded his words and as soon as he grabbed onto my arm, I leaned over to try and bite him when instantly there was a silk scarf tied around my head, so I grunted in frustration instead. I barely noticed he was covered in blood and soot when he wrapped his arms around me and we were suddenly in a hallway I didn't recognize. I hadn't been let out of my room at all since I'd first been kidnapped, so I wasn't sure if we'd actually left his home considering it was just as fancy as my room until he said, "We are in the palace of the King of Louisiana." I didn't know what he was talking about and wondered if he stupidly thought the Governor was a King when I heard a movement behind me and my mind reached out towards the sound as my head turned. There were two men standing just outside of a closed door and their luminescence stumped me until I noticed a set of fangs peeking out and I felt the shock go through me knowing I was in the presence of vampires. I'd of course seen them on TV, but I'd never met any in person and I wondered why they didn't seem to notice our presence when Niall waved his magic hands and they literally froze where they stood. I didn't know if I couldn't read their minds due to their frozen state of being or because they were vampires, but I didn't have time to speculate anymore because Niall pulled me along towards the door they'd seemed to be guarding, saying, "He will protect you, but say nothing about your telepathy to anyone."

Shock moved through me again because I'd never said a word about my telepathy and didn't know he'd been aware all along. It just made me even angrier and I'm sure it was written all across my face when he knocked on the door and pulled me into the office behind him without waiting for a greeting.

The man sitting behind the desk was admittedly beautiful, but I'd been surrounded by beauty for weeks by then. I wasn't impressed and, if anything, I'd probably begun to associate beauty with being a bad thing.

_Lately, in my experience at least, it was._

They were remarkably polite to one another given one of them was a vampire and the other a crazy magical kidnapper, so I stood there passively observing them. I had no idea what debt they were talking about, but knowing I seemed to be back in Louisiana made my heart soar. I was that much closer to home, but when I heard the excitement in the vampire King's voice asking if I was some sort of human Twinkie, my knees wobbled. I knew the fairies wouldn't harm me, but I had no idea of what the vampire might do to me, however I still couldn't stop myself from scoffing over Niall's claim that I was a Brigant.

_I was a Stackhouse damn it!_

I got the impression that the vampire seemed to have a sense of humor about him and I listened intently while trying to take in my surroundings. Being in this new environment was my best chance to escape, but I knew I would have to play my cards right and I had an internal oh-shit-moment when I heard Niall say I was to be protected from fairies and _demons_.

_Was I really so bad a Christian that the devil himself was out to get me now too?_

_Maybe I shouldn't have been so stubborn before and asked a few questions. Or perhaps spitting on Claudine was a bad idea now that it occurred to me she'd mentioned wanting to be angel._

There was nothing to be done for it now and I tried to keep my expression blank while listening to Niall blather on about my not-grandfather Fintan being killed by a demon, even though I couldn't help scoffing again over the vampire's arrogance that I might want to be bitten, when suddenly it was just him an I in the room together. His eyes traveled over my body like I was a plate full of brownies left out in a Weight Watcher's meeting, but I was almost certain Niall wouldn't have left me alone with him if I was in danger of being eaten by the pretty man behind the desk and I focused my mind on him trying to read his thoughts.

But I couldn't.

_Nothing; nada; zilch._

I couldn't even sense his emotions. All I got from him was a void where his brain was, like a bubble suspended in the air, and I was busy trying to figure out how that could possibly help me to escape when he strode from the room barking out, "Come!" like I was a dog.

_Gran would've hit him upside his head with her rolling pin, vampire or not!_

I stood there without moving, knowing I wouldn't get far if I'd tried to escape as long as I was still bound, and waited for someone to come back, so when he appeared in the doorway again looking completely agitated, I did an internal fist pump. I hadn't broken for the fairies and I would be damned if I would let this vampire treat me like anything but the proper young lady I was raised to be. He seemed to have gotten the message and I was grateful when he removed the gag from my mouth. It was kind of gross and I had no intention of lashing out at him; yet. I needed to get my bearings and I didn't want to rock the boat just yet until I could come up with a plan to escape, but I couldn't contain the gasp when he literally tore apart the chains holding my feet together and I was thankful for all of the exercising I'd done while I'd been held captive since I was sure I'd be throwing up a lung when I literally had to run behind him.

The guards we passed were no longer frozen, but I was too busy trying to keep up and tasted the blood on my tongue before I even knew his finger had been in my mouth.

_Eewww!_

I felt better hearing his explanation even though I wasn't quite sure what he meant by the room being warded, however when he threw some clothes at me and ordered me to shower, I was done being passive. My Stackhouse temper was on high and it wasn't until he'd thrown me into the tub and warned that I was in danger of being drained that I finally calmed down. I was foolish to antagonize him when I didn't know for sure that he wouldn't hurt me. All I really wanted was my freedom and since he seemed a bit put out over having to keep an eye on me, I hoped he would just set me free.

Just talking to him was a novelty since I'd spent so much time alone lately, but I hated having to give up my name to him. I was quickly learning that information was power, but it was a small price to pay and he was under the impression that I was a Brigant, so I let him remain confused. But it was my own confusion that had my head spinning once he'd answered my question.

_I'd been in a different realm; like a whole other WORLD._

_I'd been gone from my life for five months._

He'd guessed May, but I'd actually been taken on June 12th and didn't feel the need to correct him. I also didn't feel out of line for rounding up because it was _my life_ we were talking about, but then learning I'd been gone, not for _five months_, but _a year_ and five months was more than my brain or body could take. I'd been through too much in too short (or too long, depending on how you looked at it) of a time and simply couldn't handle the overload, so I actually welcomed the darkness when it came.

**So, there you have it. The plot will actually move forward in the next chapter. Pinky swear!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: Yeah, so as it turns out, **_**both**_** Eric and Sookie are quite loud. So loud they even drown out my kids' requests to be fed. There's a box of donuts on the kitchen counter. Must I **_**open**_** it too? Sheesh. Also, there's some of the Eric/Pam fanfic mandatory Swedish down below. I used Google Translate, so I don't know how accurate it is, but the translations are at the bottom of this chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just making Sookie a bit more blood thirsty and blame her time in the Fae realm.**

Chapter Three

**EPOV**

I awoke the following evening still covered in Sookie's scent, so instead of immediately showering, as I normally would, I lay there for a few minutes and allowed myself to enjoy it. Normally I wouldn't have bothered to pick up a prisoner from the floor and carry them to their bed, but then normally they wouldn't have had my blood. The shock and pain I felt radiating through her upon learning of the date was nothing short of violent until she'd passed out, so that I was left feeling nothing but the hum of her presence through our weak bond and I was even more curious as to how long she'd been held by Niall.

_I was also curious as to why I was curious._

I threw the covers off and stormed into the bathroom already frustrated at the distraction she represented. There were too many things I needed to concentrate on and I couldn't let myself become engrossed in the life of a one-eighth Fae. Her reactions for the most part had been amusing and had I still been nothing more than a Sheriff, I would certainly be willing to entertain her for a few nights given her looks and her scent, but it was a luxury I could no longer afford.

Once I was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, I left my room and made my way to the living area where I found her sitting on a couch with one of the many books I kept down there in her hand. On any other night, I would have left my quarters and selected the first donor from the donor pool that struck my fancy, but since I still had to figure out what I would be doing with my unexpected guest I grabbed a True Blood from the refrigerator to tide me over.

_It wasn't lost on me had Sookie been in the donor pool, I definitely would've selected her._

The shower I had to remove her scent was a fruitless attempt because my quarters were now saturated in it thanks to her being locked up within them all day long. She hadn't said a word to me yet, but as I turned away from the microwave with the warmed bottle now in my hand, I saw she'd closed the book and was now staring back at me. I noticed Pam's clothes seemed a little snug on her and made a mental note to have some purchased in her size, but I did enjoy seeing the way the sweater she was wearing stretched across her ample breasts.

_If she stayed for more than a few nights, True Blood wasn't going to satisfy my needs._

She blushed furiously when her eyes finally met mine and I wondered if she'd had any blood induced dreams about me. I didn't give her much, but I was old and my blood was powerful, so it wasn't out of the question. My eyes lit across every visible inch of skin on her body and I tamped down on my urges now smelling the faint scent of her arousal while feeling it through the bond as well when she said, "Thank you," drawing my eyes back up to hers. "For the food and for putting me into bed last night," she added. When all I did was acknowledge her thanks with a nod, she continued on, asking, "Were you serious last night? It's really October of 2005?"

"Yes," I answered and then indulged my curiosity by asking, "What year were you taken?"

Her eyes dropped from mine and her earlier arousal disappeared as I felt the pain shooting through her again, but I remained silent until she looked back up at me, ignoring my question and asking two more of her own. "Where are we exactly? We're in Louisiana, right?"

Her demeanor was still polite and yet commanding. From what I could gather from the pieces of information I had, she hadn't been raised as a Fae princess and yet she showed no fear at questioning a Vampire King while ignoring my own questions. It was still entertaining and still infuriating.

_And I could easily become infatuated by her if I wasn't careful._

I took a seat across from her and ran my fingers through my still drying hair, noting the way her eyes traveled over my shoulders and chest, and smirked when a blush tinged her cheeks when she'd realized she'd been caught. Innocence wasn't a character trait I was used to seeing in a woman her age, especially one as beautiful as she, but I set it aside for now and said, "Quid pro quo Clarice. For every question of mine that you answer, I'll answer one of yours."

She sat back and curled her legs underneath her body, amplifying the hour glass figure she had, and when I looked back up at her eyes, I noted that I too had been caught looking. However, if she was waiting to see me blush because of it, she'd be waiting forever.

_It was an impossibility on every level._

We sat there in our silent stare off for a few moments more when she finally blurted out, "2004."

I could feel that she was being truthful, so I used her same tactic and offered, "New Orleans." She opened her mouth again, but I held up my hand, saying, "Ah ah, I believe it's my turn." Her mouth closed with a huff and she crossed her arms underneath her chest which only served to distract me more, but I still managed to ask, "Where are you from?"

She chewed her lip and remained silent for long enough that I assumed our question and answer session was over, but as I began to stand up, she said, "Mississippi."

_A lie._

It was logical that she would try and hide information about herself. There were many dangerous beings out to get her and I, too, was her captor. I'd given her no reason to trust me and yet it still pissed me off. I should have walked away from her and left her under guard in one of the cells, but instead I glared back at her and my fangs snicked down as I said, "In addition to failing to inform you that the Fae are a tasty treat to vampires, I guess it is only natural to assume that your great-grandfather failed to tell you about the properties of vampire blood."

She stared blankly at me, but I could feel the fear rising in her as she asked, "What? Do you mean, like V?"

I shook my head, answering, "No. Depending on the user, V can either make them go insane or it can make them feel as though they can take on the world. It can increase their strength, their speed. It can make the user more attractive and our blood has the power to heal, but when taken directly from the source, it forms a bond between the human and vampire and allows the vampire to feel the human's emotions. I know that you are lying to me."

"WHAT?" she screeched, jumping to her feet. "How _dare_ you do something like that without my permission? _How dare you bond to me?_"

I was a Vampire King! She was just a _human_, even a one-eighth Fae of the royal line was beneath the youngest vampire, and she was a mere infant in comparison to my one thousand years and yet she had the gall to take me to task for doing what needed to be done to keep her safe. Feeling the anger bubbling within her only fueled my own, but remembering her earlier arousal, I simply mocked her with a smirk, admitting, "And I can feel how much you want me."

Of course I omitted that it would fade over time if I didn't give her anymore of my blood, but from what I could feel of her emotions, she was so angry I almost expected her body to burst like an overinflated balloon from her sky rocketing blood pressure when she surprised me by falling back onto the couch in a fit of laughter, gasping out, "Oh, thank God."

I was flummoxed, not sure what she found so funny, and I tried to will myself to walk away from the hysterical fairy princess, but instead found myself asking, "What is it you find so amusing?"

Her anger was still simmering in the background, but she truly was amused and she wiped the tears from her eyes and then waved her hand up and down towards me, merely fanning the scent of her delicious smelling fairy tears, as she answered, "You and your batty blood bond. It's broke because I most certainly do not want _you_."

_Insufferable…infantile…Niall would be lucky if I didn't kill her myself._

Instead of walking away, I again gave in to my irrationality and leaned down over her, not touching her but definitely in her personal space, asking, "Tell me princess, did you have nice _dreams_ last night?"

Her laughter died immediately and I felt her anger take over again as she sucked in a deep breath and yelled, "YOU! That was _YOU_?" and I blamed her close proximity and alluring scent for not predicting her next move when she managed to hit me over the head with one of the couch cushions.

I wasn't sure what my next move would be, but I had a feeling her life had been spared when I heard, "Knock knock. Am I interrupting your slumber party or can I join in too?"

Pam.

I turned to face my child and saw the smirk on her face as she said, "Du känner dig som om du är redo att döda någon. Varför går du inte hittar en donator och arbeta bort det? Jag tar hand om din lilla prinsessa."

She was right and I forced myself to calm down while I jokingly answered, "Det är en så lång promenad till donatorn poolen. Varför bry sig när hon är här?"

Pam's grin only got wider and she let her fangs descend as her eyes traveled over Sookie's body behind me, replying, "Jag är alltid upp för en liten älva mellanmål. Kommer vi inte att oroa sig för de Castro längre eftersom vi kommer att vara för upptagen att bekämpa Prince of the Sky Fae för tömning hans anhöriga."

She was right, but it was still a nice little fantasy and before I could answer, I heard from behind me, "That's just _rude_ you know."

_Says the spitting, biting, hitting, kicking, maddening little fairy princess._

"Få henne några kläder som passar. Dina skjortor på hennes är för störande. Jag möter dig på mitt kontor en timme," I barked, striding from the room, but not before Pam got in her parting shot of, "Jag håller med, men du är skyldig mig en ny tröja. Att man sträcks går att reparera. Njut av din middag!"

_Enjoy my dinner, indeed._

Over the next several days, I hated to admit even to myself that I hadn't enjoyed my dinners at all. Nor would I dissect the reasons why I only took brunettes or redheads and eventually had all of the blonds removed from service, but I could feel Pam's amusement through our bond even though she knew better than to tease me for it. I left Sookie's care to her so I could concentrate on the tasks at hand, but whenever I needed her with me, Sookie would be confined to my quarters. We hadn't said a word to each other after that first night, but I knew that she would sometimes talk to Pam; mostly to complain and ask to be released. I could feel the boredom and restlessness growing in her after her third night of being confined, but I was still surprised upon rising the next night when she was waiting for me outside of my bedroom. She normally stayed in her room until I'd left the chambers altogether, but she stood there and even managed to look contrite when she asked, "May I please leave the room tonight?"

I could feel her hopefulness, but I was still pissed at her and asked, "Why? Do you find your accomodations _lacking_? Because there are some lovely cells you could stay in if you prefer a change of scenery."

Her hopefulness was replaced with annoyance and a hint of fear, but you'd never know it by looking at her as she explained, "You've been more than gracious to me and I'm grateful, really. I know I could have it much worse, but I'm bored. When Niall had me locked up in Never Never Land, at least I could see the outside world; see the sun, but here I only see these four walls."

She was being truthful, but I knew Pam and I would be busy that night going over the final preparations for my coronation with the were-tiger Quinn. I would've left her with Rasul had I not sent him to oversee Area 5 before he would eventually be dispatched to Arkansas and I didn't fully trust Sigebert yet. He was still grieving for his Maker and while I knew he didn't blame me for her untimely demise, he was still looking to lash out at someone and given her propensity to piss off vampires, I didn't feel he would be a wise choice for her guard.

There was something in the way her blue eyes looked up at me that had me grateful that Pam didn't rise as early as me, so she wasn't there to see me give in. "Fine," I agreed. "If you agree to behave, tonight you can accompany us to my office, but you'll likely be bored there as well. We'll be finalizing the plans for my coronation with the were-tiger, so I can't have you there if you're going to act up. It would be seen as a weakness if I allowed you to speak to me as you normally do and I will have to punish you in front of him if you do. Do you understand?"

She swallowed hard as she nodded and I found I didn't enjoy feeling her fear of me, so I soothed, "Just behave and all will be well, but we should probably keep your identity as Niall's kin a secret, so as far as anyone is concerned, you are my pet."

The fear disappeared and her eyes went wide as she asked incredulously, "Wait, were-tiger? Your _pet_? What are you talking about?"

"Yes," I purred at just the thought of her being my pet, although I'd never made a habit of keeping them. "I should probably mark you with my bite, but I have a feeling you aren't quite ready for that yet, so he can just assume I've bitten you somewhere else on your body that your clothing would cover."

My eyes traveled of their own volition to her breasts and then her thighs, but her ire barely masked her arousal again as she screeched, "YET? Listen here _buddy_, you will _never_ sink your fangs into anywhere on my body with me willing, do you understand?"

_Have I actually missed this?_

Quite frankly the answer was yes, even though she was pissing me off again, but I knew my next actions would only piss her off more, so I didn't hold back and pat the top of her head, saying, "There there pet. We both know you'll behave for your Master if you want out of these rooms tonight."

She certainly didn't disappoint because she yelled, "Argh!" and stomped her foot, but before I could say anything, I heard Pam's door open with her saying, "Aww…did I miss you two kissing and making up?"

_If that happened, then she'd certainly be getting an eyeful right now._

It was already too late for me to go to the donor lounge and after my little tête-à-tête with Sookie, I wasn't interested in what I knew I would find there, so I told Pam as I walked out of the room, "Give her a rundown on weres and proper pet behavior and if she's still willing, you can bring her with you to my office when you come up."

Quinn, while annoying and arrogant, was also punctual and he was waiting for me outside of my office when I arrived. We'd only been sitting for a few minutes when Pam knocked briefly on the door before entering with Sookie in tow. She bowed her head respectfully, saying, "Master," and took her seat next to me, leaving Sookie standing there alone.

Watching Quinn's appreciative gaze at her irked me and I could feel Sookie's agitation, but had no idea if it was me or Quinn she was agitated with. Probably both, but with everyone's eyes on her, she eventually bowed her head as well, saying, "Master," and stood there waiting for instructions. I was impressed she'd listened so well to Pam, but more so surprised and while I wanted to push the issue by having her sit in my lap, I had a feeling she wouldn't be the submissive pet any longer. Instead I gestured towards the couch and said, "You may have a seat."

She nodded and gracefully walked over to the couch where she sat in the far corner with her eyes taking in my office. I was slowly having the palace remodeled from Sophie-Anne's garish approach to decorating, but so far the only rooms I'd had done were my office and the receiving room. Everything else could wait since those were the rooms I spent the most time in and I noticed Sookie's eyes staring extra hard at the sword hanging above my head behind me. I could feel her interest, but I didn't have time to dwell on it as Quinn cleared his throat, saying, "Your Majesty, we have everything you've requested brought in for your coronation on Saturday."

In only a few more days Nevada would be there to gauge the strength of my rule and it was a political chess match I was prepared to play, but I was brought up short feeling Sookie's sudden apprehension through the bond. My eyes automatically darted over to her seeing her worried face, but I didn't have time to question her on it, nor did I feel inclined to remind her that I could sense her feelings and piss her off again. She played the part of the perfect pet throughout the night and as a reward, I called in a debt I held over the Were Herveaux the following night. I felt she would be safe enough within the confines of the palace while I was awake and charged him with guarding her on the nights Pam and I were busy so she wouldn't have to sit in the office or be there while I was holding court. She seemed in better spirits over the following days because of it and although I could still feel some apprehension from her, we managed to have several civil, if not, entertaining innocuous conversations about books and the like, but most of the time whenever she wasn't in my presence, I blocked our bond so that I could concentrate on the task at hand. She distracted me like no other and it didn't help whenever I felt her growing friendly feelings towards the Were. They weren't romantic feelings but I still didn't like them, nor did I like the fact that I didn't like them, but I still looked into seeing who else I could replace him with.

I was in the middle of going through the incessant number of contracts Sophie-Anne had on the night before my coronation when I heard the timid knock at my door and yelled, "Enter."

I didn't bother to look up until I heard the Were's voice, saying, "Umm…your Majesty?"

Seeing that Sookie wasn't with him, I asked, "What is it? Where is Sookie?"

I could practically taste the fear emanating from his pores, but he squared his shoulders and said, "I'm not sure."

"What do you mean _you're not sure_?" I asked with my voice becoming deadly low. I opened our bond and was shocked to find she wasn't anywhere nearby. When I found I couldn't sense her at all, I stood so quickly that my chair flew back into the wall behind me and in the next minute I had Herveaux by the throat up against the door, snarling, "Where is she?"

"I don't know," he choked out. "She said she had to use the bathroom and since it was only down the hall, I thought it would be okay to let her go alone. When she didn't return after a while, I checked on her and just found this." He shoved an envelope at me that I recognized as having come from my lair with my name written across the front. It was unopened, but Herveaux's next words made it unimportant. "She's been gone for hours. I thought maybe she was hiding or had gotten lost. I searched the palace and the grounds from top to bottom and didn't notice the envelope until I'd gone back to double check the bathroom again. No one else has seen her either."

"SHE HAS BEEN GONE FOR HOURS?" I roared, throwing his body against the opposite wall.

Pam appeared seconds later and seeing the Were's crumpled body lying on the floor, she asked, "What's happened?"

"Sookie is gone. Take him to the dungeons while I go and look for her," I ordered, but before I could leave, she asked, " Vilken av Prince? Ska vi anmäla honom?"

"Nej," I replied. "Inte om vi är kvar med inget val."

I sped out of the palace and took to the sky scrutinizing the weak bond between us. I searched for hours, slowly heading North since she had claimed to be from Mississippi, even though I knew it to be a lie. It was all I had to go on and the thought she had somehow escaped was preferrable to her having been taken by the likes of Brendaen's followers, Neave and Lochlan. She could be completely infuriating, but I couldn't stand the thought of her being at their mercy and when I felt the bond slowly flaring back to life, I increased my speed in my impatience to lay eyes on her again.

I knew I was within Area 5, but I didn't pay any attention to exactly where I was until I found myself hovering in the sky above her. The absolute grief pouring through her could likely make me fall from the sky, but I was too shocked seeing where I was.

The charred remains of the farmhouse looked no different from when Pam brought me there to show me where I'd been found while I was under the witch's curse. To this day I had no memories of that time and no idea of why I'd ended up there when I didn't know who I was and I still owed a debt to the local Shifter who'd found me, out on one of his nightly runs as a collie on New Year's Eve. I'd known there was a Shifter in that area while I'd been Sheriff, but we'd only met one time before then when I'd brought tribute to the Maenad Callisto when she'd passed through my area. He was the one that called Pam and she'd been able to keep me safely hidden while she dealt with the threat. Hallow had gotten away, but her spellbook had been left behind and the witch Octavia Fant had been able to reverse the spell.

The sounds of Sookie sobbing beneath me brought me back into the present and I slowly descended to the ground. She was lying on top of a grave in the cemetery next to the remains of the farmhouse and as I got closer, I read the name Adele Stackhouse on the tombstone. According to the date of her death, she'd died in late June of the previous year, but I had no idea of who she was to Sookie. Not only seeing how distraught she was, but feeling how truly broken she felt inside made me want to rip someone limb from limb. Since Herveaux was too far away, I simply knelt on the ground next to her, softly asking, "Sookie?"

She didn't even startle at my sudden presence as though she knew I was there and merely continued to sob. While her tears smelled delicious, I disliked seeing them immensely and if I thought it would do any good, I would have ordered her to stop crying. Instead I found myself lifting her up off of the cold damp ground and cradled her body against mine, softly asking, "What is wrong?"

Her sobs only got louder as she buried her face against my chest, so I merely sat there and let her cry. Her whole body was shivering and I could feel that she was cold, so I took off my jacket and draped it around her body while she continued to cry and when the sobs finally quieted some time later, she gasped out, "My Gran is dead."

I assumed her Gran was Adele Stackhouse, but I was confused as to how she came to be in the cemetery and the fact I too had once ended up there was still playing around in the back of my mind when she pointed towards the burnt building, saying, "That was her house. It was where I grew up."

_Was it a coincidence?_

I couldn't be sure, but I didn't want to stop her from talking, eager to finally hear what she had to say. I knew nothing about her life and it had been needling away at me, no matter how many times I tried to convince myself that I didn't care, so I just held her and waited, but after an hour had passed with her saying nothing more, I stood, saying, "We should get back to the palace. It will be dawn soon."

I was surprised to feel her nod against my chest, expecting her to plead with me to let her go, but when we both heard the faint sound of a cat's meow from the woodline, her head whipped violently towards the sound. An unremarkable tabby appeared in view and Sookie sprang from my arms, shouting, "Tina!"

The cat hissed at her sudden movement but calmed as she seemed to recognize her and Sookie let loose with a fresh batch of tears as she cradled the cat in her arms and cried into its fur, "Oh Tina, you're okay."

After a few more minutes, I reminded her, "Sookie, we really should get going." I didn't know what else might be lurking in the woods since it seemed to be a Supernatural magnet drawing Maenads, fairies, vampires, and shifters alike.

Her tear stained face looked back at me and with her still broken voice, she asked, "May I take her with us? _Please Eric?_ I don't think I can stand losing anything else."

Even if I couldn't feel just how true her statement was, I doubted I could've denied her much in that moment seeing how sad she was. "Of course, but you'll need to hold onto her tightly since we'll be flying back."

Gratitude radiated from her and seeing her smiling geniunely back at me made me feel…something that I didn't have words for, but it was quickly overshadowed by her disbelief as she asked, "You can fly?"

Both Sookie and the cat learned the answer to that question with both of them burrowing tightly against my chest all the way back to New Orleans. Pam was waiting for us in my quarters and when she saw Tina, her eyebrow rose up as she asked, "Normally we share our preference in getting a little pussy, but I think you're going a bit overboard now."

Sookie actually managed to laugh softly for the first time since I'd found her, so I ignored Pam's remarks and sent her out for supplies for the cat before taking Sookie into her room. She crawled up onto her bed with her cat clutched to her chest and I was about to walk back out when she said, "I don't know if she died in the fire."

I knew she was speaking about her Gran again, but I was even more impressed by her mind when her eyes met mine as she asked, "Do you think it was the fairies?"

It had been something I'd been contemplating during the majority of our flight back to the palace, be it Niall tying up loose ends or one of Brendaen's followers, and I'd already decided that I would no longer trust her safety to anyone other than Pam or myself. I was still curious as to how she got all the way to Bon Temps, but felt that pushing the issue would be too much for her right now and just answered, "Perhaps. I will look into it."

I could feel her gratitude again when she replied, "Thank you Eric, for everything." I nodded in response and was just about to close her door behind me when she called out, "Eric?"

"Yes Sookie?"

Her eyes took on a deadly glare when she said, "If it was the fairies, will you help me kill them?"

My fangs snicked down hearing her request and feeling the human equivalent of bloodlust rising within her, I smiled, not trying to conceal them as I repeated, "Yes Sookie."

I left her room then and returned to my own where I left a message for Niall. It had been a long night between Sookie's escape, subsequent devastation learning her grandmother was dead, and my own confusion over the coincidence of her home being the place I'd ended up when cursed, even though I didn't know of her existence until Niall brought her to me for her own protection. Fairies were known for being secretive and I had a feeling Niall knew more than he was letting on. I wanted answers and I wanted them _now._

It wasn't until I was on the fringes of awareness with dawn's arrival that I remembered the envelope the Were had handed me after admitting his failure in guarding Sookie and I sluggishly pulled it from my pocket where I'd shoved it into when I first took flight that night. My eyes went wide reading Sookie's words, but I had no choice but to succumb to my daytime death with the paper still clutched in my hand. I would have to wait until the following evening to find out why I couldn't trust Quinn and just how she knew that.

Thanks for reading!

TRANSLATIONS:

_Du känner dig som om du är redo att döda någon. Varför går du inte hittar en donator och arbeta bort det? Jag tar hand om din lilla prinsessa. – You feel like you're ready to kill someone. Why don't you go find a donor and work it off? I'll take care of your little princess._

_Det är en så lång promenad till donatorn poolen. Varför bry sig när hon är här? – It's such a long walk to the donor pool. Why bother when she's right here?_

_Jag är alltid upp för en liten älva mellanmål. Kommer vi inte att oroa sig för de Castro längre eftersom vi kommer att vara för upptagen att bekämpa Prince of the Sky Fae för tömning hans anhöriga. – I'm always up for a little fairy snack. Then we won't have to worry about de Castro anymore because we'll be too busy fighting the Prince of the Sky Fae for draining his kin._

_Få henne några kläder som passar. Dina skjortor på hennes är för störande. Jag möter dig på mitt kontor en timme. – Get her some clothes that fit. Your shirts on her are too distracting. I'll meet you in my office in an hour._

_Jag håller med, men du är skyldig mig en ny tröja. Att man sträcks går att reparera. Njut av din middag! – I agree, but you owe me a new sweater. That one is stretched beyond repair. Enjoy your dinner!_

_Vilken av Prince? Ska vi anmäla honom? – What of the Prince? Should we notify him?_

_Nej, inte om vi är kvar med inget val. – No, not unless we are left with no choice._


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: I'm still working on an update to my All In story, but I wasn't feeling particularly funny yesterday thanks to some other stuff that was going on, however I did manage to inadvertently get Makesmyheadspin to spit orange juice out of her mouth in a restaurant, so that was all sorts of win. Anyway, for those of you that read that, I am working on it, but in the meantime you get this.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just putting parts of books one through seven into a jar and giving them a good shake to see what falls out.**

Chapter Four

SPOV

I rolled over and stretched out in my bed when I heard a purring noise beside my head and my eyes sprang open. Seeing Tina lying next to me looking no worse for wear despite her ordeal made me happy, but it also brought with it a fresh wave of devastation remembering the night before.

_My Gran was dead._

It had been easy enough to get away from Alcide since I no longer seemed to have to try as hard to read the red snarly minds I now knew belonged to Weres, thanks to Pam's quick tutorial a few nights earlier. Quinn's thoughts were downright disgusting and the fact that I knew he'd been trying to smell whether or not Eric and I had had sex had been hard to hide, but a lifetime of learning to keep my face neutral while hearing the vile thoughts around me came in handy. Alcide's thoughts, however, weren't that bad. He'd thought I was pretty and was shocked that I apparently wasn't like a _typical fangbanger_, but he still had the occasional not so nice thought about me for, in his mind at least, being one of them. It was probably what kept me from finding him attractive even though physically, he was. I knew there was nothing going on between Eric and me, but I still thought that Alcide had no right to judge me for it if there was.

Thanks to the meetings I'd sat in on, I knew what would be going on at the palace with Eric's upcoming coronation, so I planned my escape for the night before since there'd be a lot of people going in and out of the palace working to set things up. However, after spending so much time together with Eric and Pam, I was actually starting to like them. Pam was funny, even though she kept teasing me about Eric for some reason and in the next breath trying to convince me to give lesbianism a try, but it was Eric's personality that shocked me the most. He could get my Stackhouse temper to flare in an instant, but even so, when we were getting along, it was actually kind of nice. He was funny and quite charming, nothing like the fierce Vampire King I knew him to be. I'd seen how he acted the few times I'd been in the room when he was holding Court, or in his office with others present, and it was nothing like how he acted whenever it was just Pam and I, but I had a feeling the Eric I saw behind closed doors was the real him and I certainly preferred him that way. And while I'd hated playing the role of his submissive pet at first, with my inner feminist wanting to shake her fist at him, after seeing firsthand just how little tolerance he had for anyone that questioned him, much less disrespected him in any way, I was surprised I was still alive. For some reason, he granted me more leeway than he did with anyone else I'd seen, but I couldn't fathom why and I saw with my own eyes how humans were expected to act. It was how Eric treated me privately that made me okay with pretending to be his pet.

It didn't take long for me to realize what a fool I'd been while in Never Never Land and it was what made me try to act smarter this time around. I couldn't sense their emotions, but neither Pam nor Eric seemed to want to hurt me and I'd heard enough thoughts from the other humans and Weres in the palace to know that I actually had it quite good. There was no way I would want to trade places with some of the other 'pets' of the vampires there and I tried extra hard not to listen to the women from the donor pool. Eric featured in many of their thoughts and from what I could tell every last woman in the place wanted him and most had had him. _I_ didn't want him (even though Dream Sookie had had him and was quite keen to have him again), but even if I did, Eric hadn't done or said anything to lead me to believe he was interested in me. The fact that he seemed to prefer brunettes and redheads, with no blond women in the donor pool at all, spoke volumes and their catty thoughts whenever they saw me confirmed as much since it was known I was _his_ pet and yet he still indulged with them.

_Not that I wanted him._

When the day came that I knew I would be attempting my escape, it was the genuine feelings of friendship that I had for Pam and Eric that had grown over my short time with them that made me write the note I would be leaving behind for them. They hadn't been the ones who kidnapped me. Eric was merely repaying his debt to Niall and he'd treated me better than I deserved given my attitude in the beginning. In my letter I told Eric I hoped he wouldn't get into trouble with Niall, but more importantly, I wanted him to know that Quinn couldn't be trusted. I didn't mention my telepathy because I didn't want to give anyone any reason to think me any more of a prize than my fake fairy pedigree already did, so I had been vague and just said he should be careful. I'd only been around Quinn that one time and his thoughts had wandered between actual preparations for Eric's coronation and making mental lists of what he needed to inform Nevada on. I'd remembered Eric's words from my first night in the palace when he'd told Niall that Nevada was scenting blood in the water and I didn't want him to think Quinn was trustworthy, but all I could do was leave the note behind and hope that it would be enough.

_Maybe I had a touch of Stockholm Syndrome? Pam had told me it was Swedish they sometimes rudely spoke around me, so I guess it was fitting._

My telepathy came in handy on the night of my escape with me playing a one-sided game of hide-and-seek versus the brains and voids I could sense nearby. I didn't think Eric had been lying to me that he could sense my emotions (I was still having those dirty dreams thanks to him too and the way his backside fit into his jeans didn't help), so I tried to only project my happiness that my little plan was working and not my deceit. When I was finally three blocks away from the palace, I took off in a flat out sprint and the fall air was cold on my skin, but exhilarating.

I knew better than to try and run to a police station now knowing they could just glamour my return from them and frankly I was willing to walk all the way back to Bon Temps if I had to. I had no money for a bus ticket and eventually I found myself on a strip of road outside of a no name motel. I'd kept my shields lowered the entire time since I'd left the palace so that I could hear if Alcide or anyone else was nearby, but when I heard the stray thoughts of a woman who was checking out and planning on driving back to Shreveport that night, I took a chance and approached her. I'd known from her thoughts that she'd driven down the night before to surprise her boyfriend who was in New Orleans for work, but the surprise was on her when she'd found him with another woman. She'd been too upset to return home earlier and I felt bad using her misfortune against her, but I was desperate. It wasn't hard to work up a few tears when I walked up to her asking if, by chance, she was heading north. I told her I'd just discovered my boyfriend cheating on me with another woman and had run out without my purse. I wanted to go back home to Shreveport, but I didn't want to go back and face him and she was only too happy to help me out. Even nicer still, she seemed to have a lead foot, so when we were closer to Shreveport and she asked me where I lived, I admitted that I actually lived in Bon Temps and in a show of sisterly solidarity over my initial lie, she drove the extra forty-five minutes out of her way where she dropped me off at the end of my driveway.

I'd been so excited to finally be home that at first I didn't register the state of my childhood home as I ran up the driveway and stood there staring at the charred wood and foundation where my Gran's farmhouse once stood in total shock. That home had housed the Stackhouses going back a hundred and fifty years and in my mind, it would've stood for another hundred and fifty more. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and maybe I was in front of the wrong house. The flowerbeds were all overgrown and surely Gran would have never let that stand, so I found myself wandering over to the Sweet Home Cemetery that separated our land from old Jessie Compton's place next door, trying to get my bearings.

_And then a piece of me died inside._

I'd walked over to the familiar markers where my real granddaddy and parents were buried, but my eyes immediately fell to the newest addition I hadn't seen there before. Reading _Adele Stackhouse_ above the grave was enough to make my knees go weak and I fell to the ground completely broken inside. Gran had been the only one who ever loved me unconditionally; the only one who never thought poorly of me because of my curse. She'd taught me so many things in my lifetime, but it wasn't enough; _I_ hadn't had enough time with her and I wasn't prepared to imagine my life without her in it.

After a while my body went numb, either from my shock and grief or the cold temperature, but I'd sensed Eric's presence in the back of my mind as he got closer. Over time, I'd come to be able to recognize the telltale voids of both him and Pam in a way I couldn't explain even to myself, but instead of feeling the need to flee, I just felt _need._ I needed to be held; I needed to feel safe; I needed someone to comfort me now that the woman who'd always done that for me was gone and as he held me to his chest, wrapped up in his jacket and whispering gentle soothing sounds into the top of my head, there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

The Vampire King had been left back in New Orleans and it was just me and Eric; my unexpected savior.

I was so very grateful for him in that moment I didn't even try to argue with him over returning as I stood there with Tina in my arms. The reality of it was I had no home to return to and seeing its charred remains over his shoulder just made me want to get out of there as fast as I could. In my shock over Gran's death, my mind didn't even think of what may have happened to Jason until we were nearly back at the palace and I almost asked Eric to turn back around, but then I really thought about it. No matter if it had been the fairies or faulty wiring in the old farmhouse, I would forever blame them for her death. If I had been there instead of locked away in their weird world, I may have had the chance to save her, but now I would never know. However, if it had been the fairies or some other mystical creature that killed her, I would have to assume it was her association with me that caused it and I didn't want to put Jason in the same situation by running to him. If he'd been killed as well, he would've been buried next to Gran, so the absence of his grave gave me hope that he was still okay and I resolved to ask Eric later on if he would check on him for me.

_He'd agreed to help me kill the fairies if they were responsible for Gran's death, so I didn't think he'd balk at making a call or two to track down Jason._

My request had been a genuine one and given his fangs snapped down with his reply, I had to assume his willingness had been genuine too. I still hadn't come to terms with how much my life had changed since Niall had kidnapped me. There were all of these other types of mystical creatures roaming the world that I knew nothing about before now. Some of which, if you believed Niall, were out to get me for whatever reason, but strangely, with Eric I felt safe. He'd only ever really scared me in the beginning when I'd been nasty to him first, but even so, he'd been kind enough to not keep me locked up in his room or in a cell. He'd gone out of his way to get me my own guard so I could wander around the palace at night when he was working. Pam had told me one too many times how delicious I smelled, but he'd never tried to bite me. A part of me wondered if it was his blood that made me feel that way, but that didn't really make sense to me either. It had been close to two weeks since I'd first arrived there and I certainly wasn't feeling warm and fuzzy about him back then when it was fresh. Even the dreams I still had of him had changed from downright pornographic to a sweeter, more romantic version of him, so maybe the bond was fading? He'd still been able to find me, so I knew on some level it was still there, but a part of me wondered if maybe my feelings had changed because of the Eric I knew of that was lurking underneath the fierce mask of the Vampire King; the one who flew hundreds of miles to find me when I needed him the most; the one who cradled me on top of my Gran's grave giving me the comfort I wasn't so sure I deserved from him; the one who let me keep my cat so I wouldn't fall apart completely.

_Yeah…that had nothing to do with his blood._

I forced myself out of bed so I could shower before Eric and Pam rose, smiling when I saw that Pam had already set out a bowl of food and water for Tina as well as her litter box in my bathroom. I made a mental note to thank her for it when I saw her and wondered if I'd be allowed out of Eric's rooms anymore since I'd done such a fine job of escaping the first time. I had no plans for a repeat performance and, if anything, I kind of wanted to stick close to him right now. The fact was his presence made me feel better long before the night before and I knew it would do so again, but I also knew his coronation was that night so I tried to prepare myself for the inevitability that I'd probably be left behind no matter what.

I left Tina sleeping on my bed and waited in the living area trying not to think too much about anything from the night before. My head still hurt from all of the crying I'd done and while I knew I wasn't done grieving Gran's death yet, I needed a break from it all. I tried to think about nothing at all since I knew they'd be rising soon and I could then distract myself with them, for a short time at least, which was where Eric found me moments later.

_With my letter in his hand._

_Shoot!_

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, holding it up like my eyes weren't already staring holes into the paper.

"Just what it says," I answered while shrugging my shoulders.

His eyes narrowed back at me and I just knew he was picking apart that unfairly one-sided bond, but I wasn't lying.

_I was omitting._

"You're holding something back," he countered.

_Stupid batty blood bond._

"It's just," I began hesitantly while choosing my words carefully, "I've always been a real good judge of character," silently adding in my head _'my telepathy tells me so'_ and hoped he could feel my truthfulness, be it said aloud or silently. "And Quinn is up to something shady," _'for Nevada'_, "so I just don't think you should put your trust in him completely."

I threw up a silent prayer to God that it would be enough and after Eric was done counting my eyelashes (at least that's what he seemed to be doing), and took a seat next to me, I was surprised to hear him asking softly, "How are you this evening?"

I knew he was asking because of the basket case I was the night before and it only softened me towards him more as I answered, "I'm okay. I just need a break from thinking about it all, you know?"

He nodded and I thought I was in the clear overall, so I was about to ask him to look for Jason when he asked, "How did you get out of the palace and all the way to Bon Temps last night?"

_Aww H-E-double hockey sticks!_

"I'm sorry about that Eric," I whispered. I truly was since I knew he'd been busy getting ready for tonight's event, I'd been _counting_ on it, and instead he had to take time out of his busy schedule to come and find me.

"I don't want your apology," he said softly and tilted my chin up so I'd look into his eyes as he added, "I just want to know _how_. I can't have holes like that in my security. The Were is in enough trouble, but I can't tolerate something so heinous to stand unpunished."

"You're punishing Alcide?" I gasped. It hadn't even crossed my mind that he'd get in trouble because I'd ditched him which was really dumb since I'd written Eric the letter saying I hoped he didn't get in trouble with Niall for me leaving.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "His failure could have led to your capture by Brendaen and his followers. You have no idea of how ruthless Neave and Lochlan are and I hope that you never find out."

I gasped again, only this time it had nothing to do with Alcide. Looking into his still fierce eyes, I asked, "You were worried about me?"

If anything, I would've thought he would be angry at me for causing him the hassle of having to find me and losing that time when there were other things he should be doing, but from what he'd just said, it seemed his first thought was my wellbeing.

"Sookie, we need to get you dressed."

I'd been concentrating on Eric (who now looked relieved) so much that I hadn't noticed Pam's arrival into the room and turned, asking, "Dressed for what?" Seeing the red ball gown she was holding up and knowing what was happening that night, I turned back to Eric, asking, "You want me to go to your coronation?"

Neither one of them had mentioned it to me at all, so I hadn't given it any thought, but Eric looked back at me, saying, "We'll discuss your Houdini act later, but yes, you'll be attending. I won't trust your security to anyone but Pam or myself from now on and since several other monarchs will be attending tonight, along with their retinue, that I know for a fact consist of a few half-demons, I refuse to leave you alone so long as they're here."

"But Eric," I argued without any malice, "you said these rooms were warded to keep out anyone that hasn't had your blood. What makes you think they can get to me if I stay here?"

"I don't think they can," he argued back, "but one can never be too careful," and without another word he got up and returned to his room, so I turned to look at Pam.

She smirked and said, "He just wants to see you in this gown." Her smile morphed into something much more lascivious when she added, "Now, let's get you naked."

_Who needs the dress when I'm already as red as it is now?_

After I'd changed (alone in the bathroom thank you very much) Pam stood behind me doing my hair and then my makeup, but instead of making me blush using anything more than the cosmetics she'd brought with her, she told me how I would need to act in front of everyone. I'd seen enough during my brief time at Court that there was a certain pageantry required and the deference that was paid towards Eric as the king. I had no plans on embarrassing him or myself and, honestly, I hadn't felt like biting his head off all week long. Whatever we were to each other; captor/captive; King/Fake Fairy Princess; Vampire/human; in the last several days we'd simply become just Eric and Sookie. I knew even Eric had to act differently amongst the other vampires so it was no skin off my nose to have to do the same.

After I assured her that I would make them proud and she declared me 'Scrumptious', her face got serious again as she said, "You know they all think that you are Eric's pet."

"Yes," I said while fighting the urge to roll my eyes and give myself mascara lids.

"You do know what _pets_ are generally used for, don't you?" she asked while giving me a knowing look.

My blush was back and my eyes dropped to my lap as I admitted, "Yes." Food and sex. I heard it in droves from the donor pool.

_Not that I was listening to them._

"You know vampires have an exceptional sense of smell?"

I flinched back from her wondering if I'd remembered to put on any deodorant, saying, "Well I do _now_," and trying to surreptitiously give myself a little sniff.

I guess I wasn't as sneaky as I'd thought because Pam said, "Trust me, you don't smell _bad_. The problem is that you don't smell like Eric."

"Why would I smell like Eric?" I asked, with my mind remembering being pressed against his chest for a long time the night before. Even in my grief I remembered he had smelled good.

_I blamed Calvin Klein, not the blood._

Pam rolled her eyes at me before answering, "Sex Sookie. _S-E-X SEX!_"

I felt my face crinkle until she gave me the evil eye watching her Mary Kay masterpiece get ruined, but I still managed to say, "Even if Eric and I _were_ doing _you know what_, I still would've _showered_ afterwards."

My mind unhelpfully flashed to a dream I'd had of a certain vampire in a shower with me and I used my hands to start fanning my overheated face, but Pam just shook her head at me, saying, "You've been Eric's _pet_ for two weeks now. You could soak yourself in a vat of bleach overnight and I would still be able to smell Eric's seed in you."

_Huh. The donor lounge must be very fragrant._

"Pam," I began. "If this is your way of telling me that I need to have sex with Eric, then I'll just go and take off this gown right now!"

"That's the spirit Sookie!" she cheered, making me realize that was totally taken out of context.

"NO PAM! I meant that I just won't go!"

_Sheesh! Vampires and their gutter minds!_

"Well," she said dejectedly, "I'm disappointed for him, but that wasn't what I was going to suggest, although I'm sure Eric would be more than willing to fulfill that particular request. What I was going to suggest was you taking more of his blood."

I almost balked at the suggestion, but I remembered Quinn thinking that I didn't smell like I'd had sex with Eric and asked, "But won't that smell different. Blood versus…you know…_sex_," I whispered the last word hoping Eric was too busy to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"Yes, but it's better than nothing and you only had a little bit the first time, so even I can't smell it on you now."

"It's gone?" I asked. I should've asked Eric more about it, but it hadn't come up after that first time and now I was even more certain that perhaps my feelings for Eric were genuine.

"Eric can still sense you, but he has to be close. He…" she paused and her eyes darted to my closed door before adding, "was not… _pleased_ when he couldn't feel you last night after learning you'd gone."

_He was worried about me._

He hadn't answered my question, but in my mind, Pam had just confirmed it. It was enough to tip the scales, so I agreed, "Okay. I'll do it."

"You should be wearing his mark also, so you should let him feed off of you too," she added quickly and darted out of the room.

_Stupid vampire speed!_

I hightailed it out of my room to find Pam when I nearly tripped over something. I believe it could have very well been my jaw since Eric was standing there in a custom made tuxedo. The man's rear end was made to be encased in the blue jeans he normally wore, and I actually liked the fact that he was a jeans and t-shirt kind of King. It endeared him to me even more, but good Lord that man could rock a tuxedo.

When my eyes finally made their way up his body to his eyes, I was sure he'd be giving me some sort of smirk alerting me to the fact he felt my…_appreciation_ of his appearance, but no. There was no smirk. It was all pure _want_ on his face as his eyes kept traveling over my dress until they finally bore into my own.

I vaguely noticed Pam standing off to the side of us, but I couldn't take my eyes from his. I imagine I would've felt uncomfortable if any other man, vampire or not, had looked at me that way; I _had_ felt uncomfortable many times by men leering at me when I worked at Merlotte's, but this was something entirely different. For the first time a man was looking at me like he wanted me above all others and I actually felt the same way.

_Was I really going to do this?_

Not that, but was I really going to let him bite me and take more of his blood in return? What would it mean?

Eric's voice broke me from my thoughts, saying, "Pam tells me that she thinks we should exchange blood."

_Of course she did, stupid superfast Swedish speaker._

He hadn't blinked yet, so I just nodded in return.

"And how do you feel about her idea?" he asked.

I forced myself to look away and tried to get my mind working enough to ask, "What would it mean? What would it do if I took more of your blood and you had mine?"

He took a step closer that should've had me taking a step back, but instead my body leaned forward towards his. He was close enough to touch me, but he hadn't yet and I had to strain my neck to look up at him when he answered, "It would strengthen our bond. I would be able to feel you over greater distances, but it would fade over time like the weak one we have now."

"Would I be able to feel you too?" I asked, pushing away the 'why's' of me feeling hopeful at the thought.

He shook his head softly, saying, "No. We would have to exchange blood three times for that to happen and it would not fade over time. It would be permanent."

I tried to think it through. I really really did. It didn't sound so bad. Eric could already feel me and since he'd had to fly all the way out to Bon Temps to find me the night before, then it couldn't hurt if he could feel me better if someone had kidnapped me.

Again.

And he said it would fade over time, so really, if we only exchanged blood this one time, it wouldn't hurt anything, right? Supposedly some of those demon people were going to be there tonight, so it only made sense that I'd be better protected if Eric could find me through his blood if something went wrong.

Right?

I'd seen in those donor's minds how much they seemed to enjoy it when they were bitten, so I didn't think Eric would hurt me and he'd been feeding me this whole time, so it was just being hospitable to return the favor.

Right?

"Sookie?" he asked softly, trailing his cool fingertips down the side of my face and setting my whole body on fire.

"Yes?" I breathed out, only to see him cock his eyebrow questioningly back at me.

**Yup…I ended it there. Hahahahaha… I know there wasn't a lot of plot progression in this one, but I felt how Sookie's views had changed over time needed to be said in order for the story to proceed.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: I want to thank everyone for all of the support you've given this fic and thanks go out to Rheya Kelvin for reminding what a pain it is to have to scroll down to get the translations for the Swedish dialog which is why, from now on, all italicized dialog within quotation marks is pretend Swedish. There's a lot going on in this chapter and no real explanations yet, but we'll get there.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just wondering how many of you will make a shocked face after reading the first few lines, lol.**

Chapter Five

**EPOV**

I stared down at my unintentional temptress trying to get a rein on the lust swirling through me; both Sookie's and my own. I'd felt glimpses of her attraction to me over the last week or so, but more surprisingly what I'd felt mostly from her during those times was something akin to affection. She seemed to genuinely like both Pam and myself, but now I was just feeling her desire and…_hopefulness?_

_If I'd thought feeling her emotions were a distraction before, it was nothing compared to the avalanche coming through our weak bond now._

After her impressive escape the night before, I was already contemplating giving her more of my blood. I didn't like not being able to feel her when I thought she could've possibly been snatched by the fairies, but it wasn't something I took lightly. Before Sookie, the last time I'd given my blood to a human had been when I turned Pam, but my instincts were telling me to protect her beyond my debt to Niall; telling me it was something I needed to do now and they hadn't failed me yet in keeping me alive for a thousand years.

_And the thought of finally being able to taste Sookie was no hardship either._

Her scent was intoxicating, but not so much that I felt the need to drain her. However it was enough to make my mouth water whenever she was near, but I would never force her if she'd been unwilling. I may have even questioned her unspoken motivations if I hadn't been able to feel her emotions through our weakened bond.

_She wanted to._

_She wanted me._

_She just needed to say the words._

I knew through my bond with Pam that she had wisely chosen to leave the room and the palpable chemistry encompassing Sookie and me, but our little bubble was burst by the sound of Sookie's cat hissing at our feet. Our eyes were drawn down simultaneously in time to see Tina baring her fangs at me seconds before she leapt towards me with her claws out. She couldn't do any damage to me, but I still caught her in midair by the back of her neck with Sookie chiding, "Tina! What's gotten into you?"

I hadn't paid any attention to the cat the night before other than to notice the comfort it seemed to provide Sookie, but holding it now I sent a silent call to Pam for her to return as I asked, "Sookie? Am I mistaken or should _Tina_ be a _female_ cat?"

With my eyes still on _Tina_, I heard Sookie reply, "Of course she's a female. Why else would I have named her _Tina_?"

_That's what I was afraid of._

Instead of asking why I would question its gender, Sookie could now see for herself that _this cat_ clearly wasn't a female with her blurting out, "Oh! I didn't even notice he was a boy cat. He looks exactly like Tina!"

I'd seen enough subterfuge over my long lifetime and just as Pam walked back into the room, I said, _"Fucking witches! They can't get anything right. Grab the silver and iron chains and follow me._"

Even as Pam did as I bade her, she teased, _"I know that isn't the pussy you REALLY want, but if you kill it, you won't be getting any of Sookie's either."_

"That's still really _rude_ you know," Sookie called out as she followed along behind us. "Where are you going? What are you doing with Tina? I mean, Boy Tina?"

As soon as we were outside of the chambers and the wards, I stopped and signaled for Pam to wrap the animal in silver, explaining, "I am making sure this is nothing more than a _cat_. If it is a shifter, then the silver will burn it."

Her eyes went wide as she watched the animal fight against my hold, but the silver chain did no damage to it and she seemed to relax until Pam switched to the other chain, explaining gleefully, "And iron can kill a fairy."

I'd heard of some Fae having the ability to shape shift and we watched it hiss and yowl as it quickly became weaker until it could no longer hold its shape. Pam was able to remove the chains just in time for it to transform into the form of a naked man, who was no doubt a fairy given his scent. Pam and I probably would've had a more difficult time controlling ourselves had it not been for spending so much time around Sookie. While she didn't smell completely of Fae, the constant presence of her scent seemed to have desensitized us somewhat and Pam quickly secured him in the iron chains before he could pop away, as I bared my fangs and asked, "Who. Are. You?"

"Preston," was the answer I heard, but instead of coming from him it came from Sookie.

"You know him?" I asked.

She nodded her head, saying, "He was one of my fairy guards. He'd tried talking to me several times and was the one who would bring me my meals until I'd thrown enough things at him to make him black and blue."

The fact that she'd been willful enough to fight back against her captors only served to make me want her even more, but I pushed those thoughts away and turned to my newest Fae guest, who would not be getting the same treatment as Sookie. "What is your mission?" I snarled into his face. Niall had been adamant that none of the Fae were to be trusted, so his position as Royal Guard/waiter in Niall's service meant nothing to me.

It was clear he wasn't going to answer my questions any time soon without a little _persuasion_ on my part, but there was no time for it. It was nearing the time for my coronation to begin already, so I handed him to Pam, saying, _"Have him placed in one of the iron cells and leave Sigebert to stand guard over him. He is old enough to be able to withstand his scent and we will question him later."_

Her eyes lit up before she carried him away and I turned to see Sookie's crestfallen face as she said, "So Tina is probably dead too."

She didn't feel as broken as she had upon learning her grandmother had died, but I still felt the need to comfort her and wrapped her in my arms, saying, "We can't know for sure." I only knew for sure that Preston would likely be dead soon.

I walked her back into my chambers before I held her by her shoulders and looked down into her eyes, saying, "After this breach, I definitely think you should have more of my blood."

"But how?" she asked in a daze. "Why would he pretend to be Tina? Why would he be here at all? And how would he be able to get through the wards?"

I sighed, a human gesture I found myself making more and more in her presence, answering, "I cannot be sure. I will be having words with the witch, but I have to assume it was because he entered in the form of an animal which would mean any other Weres might be able to do the same. I'll have my theory tested later with one of the Were guards, but I have no idea of why he was sent. He could be a backup plan as part of your protection from Niall or he could be a spy for Brendaen. I won't know until I _question_ him later or hear back from Niall."

I felt apprehension spike from her again, I assumed at the thought of having snuggled with a fairy spy all day long, but it turned back into despair as she said, "I'm sorry for all of this." At my quizzical look, she added, "You know, for all of the drama I seem to be causing you."

_Ridiculous!_

While the timing could have been better, things were never boring with her around and I smiled down at her, saying, "Considering it is thanks to you that we now have undiluted fairy blood on tap, I really should be thanking you."

After her comments about wanting to kill the fairies the night before, I didn't think my remark would upset her and I was right feeling nothing but a contented acceptance from her, but I was admittedly stunned by her next question.

"Would you…you know, be able to tell by tasting my blood if there was any fairy in me?"

I knew from her scent alone she was a descendent of the Fae. I don't know that I would've been able to pick it out right away had she not arrived with Niall, but having that knowledge all along definitely pinpointed where her sweet scent was derived from.

But she hadn't asked that, so I merely answered her question.

"Yes."

The nervousness that rose up within her made me curious, but thankfully she gave voice to the cause of it, saying, "I never believed Niall when he claimed to be my fairy great-grandfather because I didn't want to believe that my Gran would've been unfaithful to her husband. Now I can never ask her about it, but seeing as how they're still finding ways to get me, I'm left wondering if it's true."

Her disbelief over her lineage certainly explained her defiance and disdain towards Niall and it only raised my estimation of her overall. She'd obviously come from a humble background, but even after being told that she was a descendent of one of the most powerful royal lines ever known, she'd refused to accept it. From what I knew of typical human behavior, I knew most people would've been happy to be told they were actually royalty (there was a whole theme park based on that concept), but that happiness would quickly lead to a sense of entitlement and arrogance. However, before I could ponder her abnormal reactions any longer, her next words commanded all of my attention as she said, "I would like to exchange blood with you if you're willing. It will protect me better and I want to know if I really am a part-fairy."

My fangs automatically snapped down with her request, but the lust I'd felt from her earlier had been replaced by something else and before I could stop myself, I said, "You trust me."

It wasn't a question because I was reading it straight from her, but it still surprised me just the same when she nodded, "I do."

I knew our time was short and we couldn't _fully_ enjoy the experience, but I wasn't going to completely rush through it either, so I led her over to the couch and retrieved a small pocket knife before taking a seat next to her. Her eyes got wide when she saw it, but I felt no fear from her and placed the blade at my neck, instructing her, "Once I've opened the wound, I want you to draw on it until it closes." When she nodded her agreement I shifted my body closer to hers and sliced a small gash into my skin. I was fully prepared for her to cringe or shy away. I was fully prepared to have to remind her of her own reasons why this was the best option. I was even somewhat prepared to finally feel her lips on my body, but I hadn't been prepared at all.

There was no hesitation as Sookie leaned forward and when her lips sealed around the wound, pulling the first draw of my blood into her mouth, I was sure my knees would've buckled had we been standing. I'd already given thought to what this exchange would mean for us and a permanent blood bond was never something I'd ever wanted. Even five seconds ago I had my doubts I would ever want to be permanently tied to someone in that way who wasn't my child and I'd already reasoned in my mind, if after this exchange Sookie was somehow critically wounded, I could always have Pam heal her with her blood in order to prevent furthering our bond.

_But now…_

Now I felt an overwhelming need to possess her; to protect her; to kill anything that dared even to look at her harshly and thoughts of her taking anyone else's blood, even that of my own child's, made me enraged, but as soon as my fangs slid into her neck and her blood hit my tongue I knew I was done for.

I could immediately taste the Fae qualities in her blood, but there was something more to it than that. Had I been one for triteness, I would've said she'd been made just for me, but since I wasn't that cliché, all I could say with any certainty was I would do everything in my power to make her mine. In that moment I knew no one else could ever compare. I could feel every emotion flowing through her more strongly than ever before; lust; want; need; but above all was her happiness. She was happy to be there with me and I had to say, I returned the sentiment.

The vibration of Sookie's moans against my skin was reciprocated by the growl that rumbled through my chest and it was only when she pulled away to cry out with her climax did I realize she'd somehow ended up sitting sideways on my lap. I'd lost all concept of time and had no idea if I was in danger of draining her, so I slowly licked her wound clean while fighting my instincts to claim her now; coronation be damned. Her subtle shift in my lap made my other needs known by more than just me and I was sure there would be a blush waiting for me when I pulled back to look at her, but instead I felt a wave of insecurity wash over her with her eyes darting to my lips. I thought perhaps it was because I was a vampire that had just fed on her blood for the first time, but when I felt the undertones of desire as she stared back at me I realized what it was she wanted.

_A kiss._

Kissing wasn't something I normally engaged in. I never truly saw a need for it and that was especially true after the Great Revelation when our meals approached us without shame knowing they'd be used for nothing more than a feed and fuck, but Sookie was nothing like them. She was like no one I'd ever met before and it frightened me what I found myself now willing to do to make her happy, but thoughts of kissing her soon overrode everything else.

Pam had told me of her suspicions that Sookie was perhaps innocent, which I would've thought an impossibility at her age and with her beauty, but I'd seen the blushes for myself over the last couple of weeks, so I couldn't be sure. With those thoughts in the back of my mind, I made sure to keep my movements slow, even for a human, in case she decided to pull away and as my lips slowly inched towards hers with my intent now clear, I felt something else filter through our strengthened bond.

_Elation._

Had we been fully bonded, she would've felt the exact same thing in return as soon as our lips touched because the moment I felt her skin pressed against mine, I knew I would gladly spend hours just exploring her mouth with my own. Her shy and timid movements soon gave way to the passion I could feel bubbling up inside of her and I was only too happy to let her have her way with me. Her hands came up to fist her fingers through my hair and I felt my arms wrap around her like bands of steel so she could never leave my lap again, with part of me wondering if I'd somehow become bewitched by her Fae magic, but our moment was over seconds later as we heard Pam say from the doorway, _"If your intention is to eat her, I think it's her other lips you want."_

Sookie gasped and pulled away, I knew only due to Pam's presence and, thankfully, not because she could understand her. I shot Pam a warning look telling her to leave and then looked back at Sookie, saying, "We will have to resume this later, lover."

Her eyes got wider hearing me calling her 'lover' and I wondered if I'd overplayed my hand, but instead of irritation or annoyance, I only felt her insecurity return as she whispered, "I…I thought you didn't like me that way."

_Ha!_

Again, if we'd been bonded she would've felt my incredulity at her statement, but we weren't so her self-doubt only continued to grow until I framed her face in both of my hands and softly kissed her lips, admitting, "I like you in _every_ way."

I felt her own disbelief as she argued, "But…you've never acted like…and I've never…and you…you only have brunettes and redheads in the donor pool. There isn't anyone there that looks anything like me!"

We were now late, so I stood up and gently placed her on her feet before giving her one last kiss of reassurance, saying, "That is because there is only one you."

I didn't give her the chance to argue anymore because we really were late now, but I felt better being able to feel her so much more strongly. I heard her intake of breath while feeling her need to say something else, but Pam's sudden presence at our side made her close up again. I didn't know whether to be grateful or angry, but there was no time for either and moments later my name was being announced to the gathered crowd in the ballroom as I stepped into the room with Pam and Sookie following behind me. Coronations were nothing more than an expected formality and more often than not, a way to gloat over defeating the previous ruler. That was not true in my case, but as the oldest and most powerful vampire in the state, no one challenged me when I took over upon Sophie-Anne's demise. I wouldn't have had the ceremony at all had it not been for Pam's insistence that it was necessary to show Nevada our strength and while I agreed with her on that point, she was unable to convince me to hold a second coronation in Arkansas.

_Pam just liked parties._

I'd already visited each of the areas of both states early on so the resident vampires could swear their fealty to me. It had been a precautionary measure not knowing at the time who was most likely to attack us, so while many of the vampires under my rule were in attendance, they weren't required to swear fealty to me a second time, but my presence on the throne was needed so the visiting vampires could come and falsely congratulate me while unnecessarily kissing my ass. I'd always despised politics and it was even truer now, but as we approached the dais I realized that as _my_ pet, Sookie would be expected to sit at my feet. Pam must have already thought it through because there was a large silk covered cushion on the floor next to the throne and I was concerned at how Sookie was going to react when she realized that it was meant for her. However, my concern was soon replaced with shock when she appeared to be heading towards it and I felt nothing but a hint of irritation underneath her overall acceptance, but her bewitching Fae magic must have been strong because the thought of her sitting at my feet was unpalatable at best.

_Repulsive at worst._

She was a Fairy Princess, the only _true born_ royalty in the room, and while I knew her importance to me would be scrutinized with my unorthodox behavior, I kicked the cushion from the dais altogether and took her by the hand, leading her shocked self to stand directly behind my throne to the left. As my Second, Pam took her place on the right, with her lip twitching and hysterical laughter flooding our bond, but she remained silent as I took my seat.

_Fuck it. While we were no longer in Victorian times, my child was from that era and they could just assume Sookie was my Royal Courtesan._

The Texas vampires were the first to greet me, but I'd heard of the injuries Stan Davis suffered in Rhodes, so I wasn't surprised to not see him. It had been his nest mate Farrell that had been kidnapped by the Fellowship of the Sun and left out to burn at one of their sunrise services along with another vampire.

They were then followed by Russell Edgington and Bartlett Crowe. I'd performed their marriage ceremony at Rhodes the night before the bombing, but they each managed to survive unscathed. Their alliance was for more than just political purposes with each of them having genuine affection for one another so anyone would be a fool to attack either of their states.

Vampire after vampire filed through, interspersed with Weres and prominent human officials. I had been entertaining myself by going through Sookie's emotions as she felt them; shock; shyness; agitation; surprise and awe. When I felt a particularly strong burst of jealousy from her I turned to see her staring at the line of waiting donors off to the side of the room. The daggers they were shooting back at Sookie were pissing me off, but I'd then been distracted by yet another well wisher who I knew to be half-demon.

_And I didn't like the way he was staring at Sookie._

I felt her fear rise up a second later and guessed she didn't like the way he was looking at her either, so I let my fangs snap down, asking, "Do you have a problem with my Royal Courtesan?"

He seemed to realize his mistake because his eyes dropped from her and he bowed, saying, "Of course not your majesty. I simply find her beautiful."

"She is," I agreed. My tone brokered no argument as I added, "And she is mine."

Sookie's irritation flared for a second, but her fear was still simmering hotly through her and since Nevada appeared to be a no show, I decided I'd done enough face time on the throne. I stood up and held out my hand towards Sookie, who took it gracefully and allowed me to lead her to the dance floor. I wanted to be able to hold her so that she would no longer feel afraid and she surprised me again by falling seamlessly into me leading her around the dance floor in a waltz.

I could feel her calming down now that it was just the two of us and whispered into her hair, "You have untold depths lover. You didn't tell me you could waltz."

I felt her happiness begin to gain ground over her fear as she looked up at me and smiled, "Right back at ya, _your majesty_."

For some reason I hadn't hidden very much from Sookie at all, allowing her to see how I truly am with Pam, so she knew all too well that I didn't like being King and she only giggled more when I rolled my eyes at the title. When she settled down again, she looked up at me saying, "About last night. I wanted to ask…" but I cut her off with a slight shake of my head and leaned down to whisper in her ear, so no one else would hear, "Supernaturals have exceptional hearing. Whatever it is you want to ask will have to wait until later."

She nodded her head and mumbled something about 'superb sniffers', but then she looked up at me asking, "Is that sword in your office just for show or do you know how to use it?"

Pam's outburst of, "Oh, he _knows_ how to use it," from across the room let me know she wasn't that interested in the brunette she was talking to if she was so busy eavesdropping on us, but it allowed Sookie to see what I'd been warning her about.

"She can hear us from all the way over there?" she asked taken aback.

"Unfortunately," I smirked down at her.

I felt Sookie's amusement before she gathered her thoughts and asked, "Do you think you could teach me how to use a sword sometime?"

I didn't think she was referring to anything to do with the innuendo Pam had just used and while I'd known Sookie to have a defiant streak in her, the thought of my little Fairy Warrior Princess swinging a sword in battle was making me hard. If she truly was an innocent, like I suspected her to be, I doubted she would suddenly allow me to fuck her until dawn and after our earlier exchange I knew no one else would suffice, so I attempted to calm myself again as I nodded my agreement. She bounced happily in place, only making my situation worse, but seeing the light in her eyes, I didn't care.

When I felt her hunger, I had Pam take Sookie to where the human food was set out so she could eat something while I continued to mingle with the guests. I was standing off to the side discussing Nevada's possible whereabouts with Russell when I felt Sookie's fear sky rocket. My head automatically turned towards where I knew her to be and saw her flat out running towards me. Having my blood earlier that evening increased her speed and my arms instinctively widened to catch her when I heard the slight whistling through the air just as she made contact with my chest.

"Sookie?" I asked before I felt the pain radiating through her body.

"Shooter," she whispered and then smiled faintly adding, "I beat him."

_And then the smell of her blood permeated the air._

Fangs clicked down all around me and I again instinctively wrapped my body around hers, growling out my warning to everyone in the room before I took off with her towards my chambers. I had just placed her face down on the couch to check the wound I knew to be there, from the blood I could feel dripping down my hands as I carried her, when I registered a sound behind me and turned with my fangs bared and my hands curved into claws, only to see Pam standing there with her hands up and her eyes lowered in submission.

"I'm only here to help," she said with her eyes still trained down.

Logically I knew she was no danger to Sookie, but it took all of my willpower to allow her to step foot into the room and I somehow managed swallow the snarl that threatened to leave my throat as Pam kneeled down next to her. The small piece of wood was lodged firmly in the back of her shoulder and while it wasn't deep, I knew it would be painful to her when it was removed and I was contemplating glamouring her so she wouldn't feel it when Pam said, "She knew."

Her words filtered through my already busy thoughts and I realized from the location of Sookie's wound in comparison to when she'd leapt into my arms, the wooden bullet would have hit me in the heart had it not pierced Sookie's back first. Her declaration that 'she beat him' made more sense now, but not how she'd known.

"How?" I asked.

Pam winced hearing Sookie's painful yelp when she'd touched the wooden bullet and I smacked her hand away as she said, "I do not know. One minute I was standing there telling her my dinner looked much more appetizing than hers and the next she took off running towards you."

"Maybe she saw him?" I speculated, but Pam was already shaking her head no and explained, "Just before she took off, she looked over at the swinging doors leading to the kitchens, so I did too. There was nothing there and yet she ran. When I saw her get hit, I looked back in time to see the barrel of a gun being pulled back through the doors and grabbed the shooter as he tried to get away. Just a regular human, probably Fellowship."

Sookie whimpered again and I leaned down so she could look into my eyes and said, "Sookie. I'm going to glamour you so that you don't feel the pain when we remove the bullet and then I'll heal you, okay?"

She'd already had a good quantity of my blood earlier, so she'd likely heal relatively quickly on her own. Her skin was already trying to close over the wound, so I didn't want to put it off for any longer knowing it would only be more painful if we waited and thankfully Sookie nodded her agreement, saying, "Okay. It hurts."

I locked my eyes onto hers and used my glamour, saying, "Sookie, you are going to close your eyes and go to sleep. You won't feel any pain whatsoever and when you wake up again, you'll feel as good as new."

Her eyebrows crinkled back at me and she huffed out, "Well that's a nice idea Eric, but could you try again using glamour this time?"

"What?" I asked, stunned. "I was using glamour." Never had I heard of a human that could withstand it and I wondered if it was a fluke due to her fairy heritage. Pam had no success either, but Sookie was starting to become delirious because she giggled, saying, "That makes my brain tickle."

"You can feel our attempts to glamour you?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," she replied. "I felt it earlier too when I was your _Royal Courtesan_," she added with a snort.

_Someone attempted to glamour what was MINE?_

Had it not been for her skin trying to close over the wood, I would've delved further into the subject, but her health and comfort were at the top of my list of priorities at the moment. However it seemed my child had had the same train of thought as me when she voiced out loud, "Maybe it's because you're part fairy."

I didn't like the sensations I was feeling from Sookie and worried she was possibly going into shock, so I had resolved myself to having to just rip the wood from her skin and then drown it in my blood in an attempt to heal her even more quickly when she mumbled, "Or maybe it's because I'm a telepath," and then she passed out.

**Thanks for reading and if you want a review reply, make sure your PM's are enabled!**


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone for reading, reviewing, alerting, etc. As a reminder, the italicized dialog inside of quotation marks is pretend Swedish. There's not a lot of action in this chapter, but Eric and Sookie needed to work out a few details before they can proceed. It'll pick up again when it's Eric's POV.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, but I'd love to hang out with Pam one day.**

Chapter Six

**SPOV**

As I drifted in and out of my sleepy state, I couldn't decipher what had been real from what had been my dreams, but all of that took a backseat when I attempted to stretch out and realized I couldn't.

_Because I was within an inch of my life of being snuggled to death._

I somehow knew without opening my eyes that it was Eric holding me and while I'd never found myself in that particular situation with anyone before, I found I quite liked it and asked sleepily, "How long have I been out?"

_Silence._

"Eric?" I murmured and slowly extracted myself from his grip enough to be able to turn around, but it wasn't until I finally opened my eyes that I realized I wasn't in my room. Judging from the masculinity of the decor, I guessed it to be Eric's, but I'd never been inside of it to know.

_Until now._

I'd felt the shift within me yesterday when we'd first exchanged blood. He had said that I wouldn't be able to feel his emotions unless we exchanged blood three times, but as the night wore on, I found him to be wrong. The tie between us was faint, on my end at least, and at first I thought my mind had been playing tricks on me; that perhaps I'd been reading his body language or facial expressions or it was simply wishful thinking on my part, so it wasn't until we were nearing the dais and I'd begrudgingly accepted that I would have to sit at his feet in keeping with playing my role as his pet that I realized what I felt was coming from him. He'd been repulsed by the idea of me sitting on that cushion and I'm sure he felt my shock when he led me to stand behind his throne, but that was nothing to the shock I felt now realizing he'd taken me with him into his inner sanctuary while he would be the most vulnerable.

_He trusted me._

There were so many things running through my mind I couldn't latch onto any one of them, but my full bladder took precedence over it all, so I pulled myself from Eric's grip and hoped there was an actual toilet in his bathroom. He'd left the bathroom light on and the door ajar so I could find my way and I was grateful to see that I was wearing a pair of the comfortable cotton pajama sets Pam had gotten me, while not thinking too much about which one of them put it on me. I couldn't remember much after Eric saying he was going to glamour me and since I hadn't felt any pain, I was glad for it. I was also happy to find not only a toilet, but a note with my name written across the top and taped to the mirror.

_My Lover,_

_I hope this finds you feeling well, no longer having the wooden bullet lodged in your beautiful body. I kissed it to make it better, but sadly you slept through it. Pam informs me your lack of reaction to my affections reflects poorly on my ability to excite you therefore I must make amends for I am most certainly up to the challenge._

_Tonight will be busy as I am quickly running out of cells thanks to your impressive ability to liven up a room full of mostly undead creatures, but we have much to discuss. There is food for you on the table in my room and feel free to turn on any lights you may need as I will not be disturbed in my daytime rest. You will not be able to exit until I rise for the evening and for that I apologize, but I've brought in some of the books you've mentioned wanting to read._

_Until then my lover,_

_E_

Huh. I checked my back in the mirror and saw there wasn't a mark on me and aside from his questionable innuendo, reading 'My Lover' brought with it the memories of what had happened during our blood exchange. I blushed automatically while thinking that was a good a thought as any to start working through while he was still dead to the world and couldn't feel me. At twenty-five…I mean _twenty-seven_ years old (it was still weird knowing close to a year and a half had passed in what felt like a month to me) I was still a virgin. My curse made dating impossible and while I couldn't deny my attraction to Eric (what heterosexual woman could?), the thought of being with him, while exciting, was frightening to me. I'd seen plenty of thoughts in my lifetime to know the difference between making love and, well…_not_ and in the thoughts I'd seen of the other women he'd had sex with, there'd been nothing tender about it. I couldn't be like them. I _wasn't_ like them and if that was what he would want from me then we could never work out.

But having seen the donors' thoughts was a catch twenty-two because not one of them ever remembered being kissed by him. Every interaction Eric ever had with any of them had been nothing more than biting and sex. It had always been a purely physical act with no affection whatsoever and since it was coming directly from their minds, it seemed they knew what they were to him too. It was what angered them about me the most with my perceived preferential status, but it was also what had made me afraid when our blood exchange was over. I'd wanted the affection; I craved the intimacy and even though I'd somehow managed to climax through the process (I still turned bright red at the thought), what I wanted most was his kiss.

_And he had given it to me._

_Whoa boy did he._

_I guess I paid more attention to the donors' thoughts than I'd realized._

That thought calmed me some and made me feel like maybe he could want something more with me, but it segued to when he'd called me his. I'd seen for myself that Supernaturals seemed possessive as a whole and while I had no desire to be with anyone else, that certainly didn't mean I was Eric's.

_Yet._

I knew now that he found me attractive and that was a step in the right direction, but if he thought I'd be okay with entering into some sort of relationship with him while he continued to _indulge_ in the donors, then he was sadly mistaken. I would never tolerate that kind of disrespect so if he wanted me to be _his_ then he would definitely have to be _mine_ as well. And how would that work? What if Niall suddenly returned? Would Eric willingly give me back to him even though I hated the man or would he fight to keep me? Could I expect him to? I knew I wanted him to if only so I wouldn't have to go back with them, but I had no idea of what Eric wanted so I had no choice but to wait and discuss it all with him. And I still had to find out if he'd tasted any fairy blood in me since I'd been a little too _distracted_ right after to ask last night.

I breathed a sigh of relief, not only at my now empty bladder but from one item checked off of my mental list, but that thought immediately led to what had precipitated the whole 'Mine' exchange. I guessed him to be one of the half-demons Eric had warned me about because while I already knew vampires to be voids; fairies' minds to be light and Weres to be snarly and red, this man's thoughts felt, for lack of a better word, dark; as though they were shrouded in shadows. At first I couldn't read anything beyond the initial hum I'd heard but the more I concentrated, the more the reception became clearer and I distinctively heard him think, _'She lives. I must inform the Prince_' with his eyes boring into mine. When Eric called him out on staring at me and that whole 'Mine' crap started, his thoughts got fuzzy again, but I'd already decided before then that I would be telling Eric I was a telepath and I'd be sure to say it just as soon as he woke up tonight. I couldn't afford to keep my secret any longer and I did trust him to keep me safe. I would've told him after our blood exchange, but my mind was still swirling and before I knew it we were in the ballroom. I wanted to be there when he questioned Preston in case he had any thoughts I could decipher and I really wished there was some sort of Fairy to English translation book I could buy, but in the meantime I could at least tell whether or not he was being truthful. Back in Never Never Land he'd attempted to talk to me several times, but in my stubbornness I'd completely ignored him. However I could remember feeling a sense of longing from him. I'd thought it was because he'd wanted me to open up to him, but that made no sense as to why he was here now.

_I doubted he'd been yearning to hear me say, 'Good kitty'._

I returned to the bedroom and found the fruit and bagels Eric had left out for me and sunk down into the chair picking at a bagel while enjoying the view. He was still lying on his side with his arms reaching out from where I had left him and he was shirtless with the sheet pulled up to his waist, so the broad expanse of his back was on display if I leaned to the right or his washboard abs were in view if I leaned to the left. Thankfully he was wearing pajama pants (I only knew that _purely accidentally_) and I never would've guessed he would own a pair considering neither him nor Pam seemed to have an ounce of modesty between them. Eric truly was a stunning man; vampire; whatever, and I still didn't know what he could possibly see in me; a (former) small town barmaid, but the fact that he'd brought me into his room with him when he was completely vulnerable spoke volumes. I didn't know if it was because he no longer trusted his wards against Weres or if it was because he'd just wanted me close, but both scenarios warmed my heart because either way, it meant that he cared. Seeing him lying there whole and unhurt made the pain of taking the wooden bullet worth it. I already knew I felt something for Eric that I'd never felt for anyone before and while I knew it wasn't love, I thought it had the possibility to turn into that with time.

Remembering how nice it had felt to wake up in his arms and not knowing if this was a onetime deal, I decided to be selfish and soak it up while I could. The display on Eric's charging cell phone told me it was just after noon, so he wouldn't rise for several more hours and I wasted no time in crawling back into bed next to him. He'd written that turning on lights wouldn't disturb him, but I wondered whether or not any movement would, so I'd climbed in slowly. He didn't even twitch, so I performed another scientific test and poked him with my finger.

_Nothing._

I got bolder then and pushed him onto his back, rearranging his arms and legs, so that I could curl up beside him, with my head lying on his chest right above the spot I was so desperate to protect the night before. I'd never been more terrified hearing the shooter's thoughts and was even more grateful for our earlier blood exchange. Eric hadn't been lying about vampire blood increasing a human's speed because everything else was a blur as I raced towards him, but then that also could've been due to my tunnel vision. All I knew was I had to save him; I knew it down to my bones that I couldn't let him be killed and I didn't have to think about it at all; it was instinctual and remembering it all now, I placed a light kiss on top of the spot I'd won in my race against the bullet suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the night before. Knowing it would be another long night, I didn't fight it when my eyelids fluttered shut and I finally drifted back to sleep.

I woke up some time later underneath a very happy vampire who seemed to be trying to inhale me awake and the feel of his nose tickling the side of my neck made me giggle. When I opened my eyes I found his face hovering just above mine with his eyes smoldering down at me, saying, "You are well."

"I am," I agreed, not knowing if he just wanted to hear me say it or he wanted confirmation of whatever it was he was feeling from me.

"You are here," he continued on.

_Did all vampires have a thing for being literal or stating the obvious?_

"I am," I repeated, wondering if it had been a test and I really could've gotten out of his room if I'd bothered to try opening the door. I didn't care; I would've been lying there regardless.

The smoldering in his eyes turned into fire as he said, "I am glad," and then his lips were on mine showing me just how true that statement was.

Our second kiss was nothing like our first, but it was oh so very much better. He'd been holding back the first time, letting me have all of the control, but that wasn't the case now and I was quickly getting swept away by it. I knew if I didn't stop him soon, I'd be in danger of losing all rational thought and while I knew I wanted something more with Eric, I couldn't give in to my desires until we'd talked about it all, so when he finally moved his lips back down to my neck so I could take a much needed breath, I said, "Eric…wait…"

The things his lips were doing to my self control, never mind my moral compass, were making me dizzy and it wouldn't take much more to persuade me to forget all about the 'his' and 'mine' conversation we needed to have. Some parts of him were more_ persuasive _than others, but he'd kept his attack to nothing more than kisses with his hands staying in my hair. It was _another_ part of his body he couldn't hide that gave away his desire and I fought with myself not to rub up against it knowing no good would come of it.

_That's a lie; I had a feeling it would be great, but it was too soon._

Remembering I wanted to tell him right away that I was a telepath and thinking that was a good enough distraction to keep him from making me forget everything I'd ever been taught about being a proper young lady (snuggling didn't count in my book), I blurted out, "I'm a telepath."

"I know," he mumbled against my collarbone and continued his assault on my definition of decency. I say that because I just then discovered firsthand how firm his backside was.

_Literally._

I shook off my stupor as my brain registered his words and pushed against him, asking, "You knew?" The shock and hurt ran through my veins like wildfire. He'd never said anything about it in all of the time we'd spent together; never even hinted about it and yet he knew?

_Was that why he wanted me?_

He must have felt my emotional turmoil because he pulled back and stared down at me with wide eyes, saying, "You told us last night before you passed out when our glamour didn't work on you. What is wrong?"

I couldn't remember doing so, but that tiny little tie I felt from him flared to life and I could feel his concern and sincerity. It only made me happier that I could at least feel that much from him and I relaxed again, admitting, "I don't remember." I wondered why I couldn't be glamoured, but knowing how much other people hated thinking I could read their thoughts, I set that aside and quickly added, "But I can't read your thoughts or any vampires at all."

His face rearranged into amusement as he said, "I know." He must have felt my curiosity (or saw my eyebrows rise up into my hairline) because he added, "If you had been able to read my thoughts all along, then you would not have been surprised last night hearing me tell you that I find you desirable. I could feel your disbelief then and your truthfulness now."

"Oh, so you're not mad at me for not telling you before?"

"No," he replied without hesitation. "It would've been foolish of you to reveal your gift when you did not know or trust us. I cannot begrudge you your pragmatism."

When it looked as though Eric wanted to pick up where he'd left off at, I stopped him while my thoughts were still clear, asking, "What are we to one another? I know last night you called me _yours_, but you know that's not really true, right?"

_That_ certainly killed the mood because Eric rolled off of me and the fire in his eyes had nothing to do with desire now as he snarled, "You do not want to be mine?"

I could feel the underlying current of his own hurt and anger, so instead of snapping back at him, I softly explained, "I didn't say that, but now that you know I'm a telepath, you can imagine what I've seen in the minds of the donors." I felt him internally twitch at my statement, but he showed nothing outwardly, so I continued on with, "I've seen enough to know that is the norm in your world. I've seen in their own minds that they want to be here; they enjoy everything that happens to them, but I'm not like them Eric. If that's all you want from me, then no, I do not want to be yours."

Eric was back to counting my eyelashes while I grabbed onto that tiny bond in my mental hands and wrung everything out of it that I could feel from him. Shock was the prevalent theme, but I didn't know if it was directed at me or himself, however his underlying desire was still there and finally he asked, "And if I want more?"

I could feel his hopefulness bubbling up with his question and I smiled softly, admitting, "I would be open to exploring that with you," but remembering my earlier concerns over the donors, I added, "But I would _not_ be open to _anything_ if you still feel the need to _partake_ in the donor pool." Realizing that was a partly unfair request since the man needed to eat, I offered off the cuff, "But I'd be willing to provide you with blood while we're _exploring_."

His eyes were back to smoldering at me as he leaned forward with a smirk, saying, "To be clear; you agree to allow me to convince you to be mine; I will forget the donor pool ever existed and you will be the _only one_ providing me with my sustenance?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, not sure if the idea of feeding only from me was a deal breaker, but it damn well would be one for me. "If you want me to be _yours_ then you damn well will be _mine_ too buddy!"

The next thing I knew I was underneath a very ecstatic vampire that was sucking all of the air out of my lungs with his kiss, but he hadn't actually agreed. Vampires were not only a possessive bunch; they were _sneaky_ too and sometimes rudely spoke other languages around people that didn't understand them, but I managed to pull away from his mouth only for his lips to return to my neck, asking without much conviction, "What are you doing? We haven't decided anything yet!"

A shiver ran through my body hearing his fangs snap down and a thrill ran through me feeling them lightly scrape across my neck as he said, "My lover, I agree to all of your terms. Now if you don't mind, I'm _exploring_."

My everything was quickly turning to jelly; my willpower; my body; my mind; everything, but knowing he'd be able to hear me, I softly whispered, "I've never…you know, done anything like that before."

He brought his head up again and when his eyes met mine there was nothing but tenderness and understanding in them as he said, "My _future_ lover, I suspected as much and I can feel that you are not yet ready, but I will wait until you are."

"Oh." Part of my mind wandered to wondering just how great their sense of smell was because how else could he know that I was a virgin, but when he brought his lips back to mine, the gentle and sweet caress of his kiss nearly brought tears to my eyes and I let myself just go with it. We explored each other's mouths for what felt like hours and while his other needs were glaringly obvious, he never acted on them, which only put me more at ease. When his lips made their way to my neck again, I leaned into his kiss, breathing out, "Are you hungry?"

A low growl escaped his chest that I took to be a 'yes', but he pulled back and surprised me by saying, "I shouldn't. At my age I don't need to feed every night and I already took from you yesterday. Besides, you lost even more blood in the attack, so your body needs time to recoup what it has lost." His eyes became warmer as he added with a smile, "But thank you for offering."

"_Knock fucking knock! Pussy prize patrol! You've just won the most prized pussy in the entire state; like you didn't already know that."_

"Is that Pam?" I asked dumbly since she was the only other person that could be in Eric's chambers and it sounded exactly like her on the other side of the door. Eric rolled his eyes with a grin, probably from my stupidity, but he'd just have to get used to it and I pressed on anyway asking, "What did she say? I really hate it when you all do that you know."

Eric just chuckled at me as he got up from the bed, saying, "Why don't you go and ask her while I get ready?" I watched him speed over to the door and enter a code into the pin pad along with scanning his fingerprint and the door popped open immediately after. As he walked into the bathroom, he added, "We will do your scans and pin code when we return later lover, so you won't have to be locked in with me all day tomorrow," and left me sitting there catching flies.

_I guess it wasn't a onetime thing._

Remembering Pam was still waiting, I quickly got out of bed, with an admitted bounce in my step over everything with Eric, but my mind turned to fluff seeing Pam standing there holding a little white ball of fluff; kitten fluff. She held it out towards me with a pout on her face, saying, "You've changed my Master my little telepathic friend. When he's sent me out for pussy in the past, this is not what he was referring to."

"I love it!" I squealed and lunged at her.

The look on her face was priceless when I hugged her, but I let go hearing Eric behind me saying, "Lover, when we discussed _exploring_ earlier, this is not what I thought you had in mind. I do not agree to this unexpected change in our terms."

I ignored his joke and turned giving him not just a hug, but a kiss as well, before saying, "I can't believe you got me a kitten, but thank you. I love it."

I could feel his own enjoyment over making me happy as he shrugged, saying, "It was nothing and I know with certainty that this is nothing more than a feline." His eyes took on a harder edge as he added, "As for the fairy, he has much to answer for."

I don't know how it slipped my mind that Preston was somewhere in the palace and I half wondered if they already had a tap in one of his veins, like a vampire version of a keg party, but shook it from my thoughts a second later, saying, "About that. I would like to be there when you question him. When I was being held captive my telepathy grew to where I can hear their thoughts now; I just can't understand their language, but I can sense their emotions and will be able to tell you if he's being truthful."

Eric's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, asking, "You wish to be there when we question him?"

I felt one of my own eyebrows mimic his, asking, "Why wouldn't I?"

His eyes shot to Pam and she left a second later while he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, looking into my eyes, and said, "We have other ways of making him talk. It isn't necessary for you to be there nor do I want to publicize your gift."

Part of me felt better knowing that Eric had no plans to use me or my curse, but the other part of me was angry that he was discounting what I was capable of. While I didn't necessarily want to witness or be a part of any of the other methods he'd alluded to, it was obviously _me_ Preston was there for and I felt like it was my right to be able to try and help find out why.

_I was a Stackhouse and Gran didn't raise any damsels in distress._

It was only feeling his concern for me in our faint tie that kept my tone neutral as I explained, "Well, unless you have any plans on releasing him then my secret should remain just that. Besides, he may already know about it because Niall told me not to say anything about my telepathy just before we walked into your office. I never told him about it, but he knew."

Eric mumbled, _"Fucking fairies,"_ but I had no idea what it meant and had a feeling it had to do with Niall so I didn't ask. Finally he looked down at me and said, "Fine. We will try your way first, but if that doesn't work then I will have to resort to other tactics."

I didn't care what happened to Preston so long as I didn't have to see it and nodded when he asked, "What did you hear last night from the shooter? I assume you heard his thoughts and that's why you decided your life had no value?"

His tone only got angrier as he went on with him snarling the last word and raising my hackles up, so I smacked his chest and snarled back, "You're welcome!"

The next thing I knew I was encased in six and a half feet of vampire and under any other circumstance I would've found it quite nice, but I was mad at him. The kitten mewled in protest in between our two bodies, so Eric loosened his grip and stared down at me saying, "Petulant insufferable woman. Do you have no self-preservation instincts whatsoever? From the moment we first met you've done nothing but antagonize a thousand year old vampire king; shown no fear of me at all when I could've easily killed you with a flick of my hand a thousand times over. What do you have to say for yourself?"

While he'd started off hissing out his words, by the time he was through I could both hear and feel the exasperation in him with a dash of amusement thrown into the mix, which calmed me enough to say, "Mmhmm…you nearly _snuggled_ me to death earlier."

_He'd already pegged me as petulant, so why hide it?_

Remembering the fear of him being killed, I whispered, "It would've killed you. I didn't think; I reacted and I don't know what you're so upset about considering we wouldn't be having this conversation right now if I hadn't." He still didn't seem very convinced and I was already tired of arguing with him, so I grinned, adding, "I'd probably be calling _Pam_ to _explore_ my other options right about now."

I only teased him because I knew he'd be able to feel it, but he still looked angry enough to shoot fire from his eyes which only made me laugh out loud. It didn't help when Pam walked back in, saying, "Oh Sookie, for _you_ I'd always _come_." Eric's responding growl only made Pam smirk and add, "What? You know it's true."

Feeling like I was about to be in the middle of a vampire war I had no hope of refereeing, I blurted out, "I think the shooter was glamoured and I think he's from Nevada."

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone that's read, reviewed, etc. Remember, there's pretend Swedish down there.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just trying to keep Eric and Pam from having a slap war.**

Chapter Seven

**EPOV**

I hadn't given much thought to the shooter assuming, like Pam, he'd been from the Fellowship. My star prisoner of the moment, in my eyes, was the fairy and he had top priority since he'd obviously been there in some capacity because of Sookie. It didn't matter what her words were; exploring or not, she was mine; she just didn't realize it yet, but I would do whatever she required for her to come to that conclusion as well. The human prisoner had been inconsequential until now, but he was the reason I also had a were-tiger occupying one of my cells since the unsuccessful assassin had been dressed as one of Triple E's servers, however hearing Sookie say she believed him to be from Nevada now piqued my interest.

When it appeared Sookie would not be waking up any time soon, after her wound had healed the night before, I'd left her in Pam's care and returned to the ballroom to round up the tiger only to see Victor Madden along with Sandy Seacrest and ten other Nevada vampires then entering the room. Russell's cocked eyebrow in my direction told me he too found their timing to be questionable, but seeing for themselves I was still among the undead, they merely apologized for their late arrival along with sending de Castro's regret over having to stay behind to deal with urgent state business. I neither knew nor cared whether or not their tales were true, but if de Castro had been behind the assassination attempt, I doubted he'd actually been as far away as Nevada. The moment I was nothing more than a puddle they would've needed to storm the palace and attempt their takeover in the ensuing chaos. It was likely there were more of Nevada's vampires hiding in every territory of mine, but because of my reputation as being a fair leader, the number of vampires in my fealty had grown over the last few weeks. The total sum of subjects under my rule was far greater than Sophie-Anne would have ever dared dream of and Nevada would've needed the pandemonium of a successful assassination in order to have a chance to win.

Sookie quickly explained how the shooter's thoughts were foggy to her, as though they weren't his own and instead were more like a compulsion to act, but on the fringes of that some of his own feelings were there as well. Even as he'd quickly assembled the weapon he somehow knew was hidden amongst Triple E's equipment, another compulsion was eating away at him that was all his own. She'd described him as feeling physically ill and guessed the man likely had a gambling addiction because his own thoughts had him longing to be back in one of Felipe's casinos. I already knew Madden and those with him had returned to Las Vegas since I'd had them followed as soon as they left the palace, so I wasn't as concerned over a possible takeover at the moment, but I was still impressed with her level of acuity and said, "You're quite impressive lover."

Her eyes rolled as she said, "More like a freak of nature, but it can be handy sometimes."

I had quite a full agenda for the evening since the coronation had eaten the entire night before, so I didn't have the time to argue the erroneous estimation she had of herself and simply kissed her forehead, saying, "We can argue logic later, but for now we must go."

Unaware I'd be dealing with a Fae infiltrator, human assassin, and inept were-tiger when I'd set my agenda for this evening, I was already due to meet with Longshadow over Fangtasia's falling revenue since he'd come down for the coronation. Seeing he'd brought Ginger with him as his companion the night before had me wondering if he could've possibly been glamoured himself, but his questionable taste in women was unimportant when my business was falling apart around him. I planned on offering him the opportunity to buy me out of the bar altogether since I no longer had the time or inclination to oversee it as I once had, now that I was King, and if he couldn't afford to, another vampire new to my kingdom by the name of Chow had already expressed his interest.

He was waiting on us when we reached my office with Ginger immediately bowing down and purring, "Master." I stifled the urge to smile feeling Sookie bristling through our bond, but I wasn't worried what she might be reading from Ginger's thoughts because I'd never touched the woman. However, knowing how many of the donor pool I'd utilized recently in my failed attempts to not think about Sookie caused me to mentally note they'd all need to be replaced. While Sookie had been truthful when she said she understood the nature of vampires and willing donors, I didn't find it prudent to have her unnecessarily subjected to their thoughts.

I ignored Ginger, leaving her in the reception area, and proceeded into my office with Pam, Sookie, and Longshadow and as soon as we were seated, I got right to the point, asking, "What is it you're doing wrong that's causing my bar to flounder?" I may have wanted to sell my shares, but I still wanted answers. My accountant Bruce had told me he estimated close to sixty thousand dollars was missing from the bar's accounts more than a year ago, but he couldn't figure out how, so I fired him and most of the other human staff that had access to the money after glamouring them produced no information. Revenue picked up again after that and I assumed we'd gotten rid of the thief, but it started slowly declining just a few months later and now was nearing insolvency.

I could feel Sookie's emotions go from disgust to amusement, but when she settled on outrage I finally glanced over to where she was seated, drawing Longshadow's gaze to her as well. He was never one to have much tolerance for any human he wasn't fucking and being dressed down in front of one of them only added to his anger, so the insubordinate ass asked, "Since when do you conduct business in the presence of a _human_?" His hostile eyes returned to me, adding, "I never thought you'd get _soft_ sitting on your new throne."

My fangs snapped down and I had him by his throat against the wall before he ever saw me coming and a part of me thought Sookie would be getting her chance to see me using my sword much sooner than either of us expected when she'd asked me about it the night before, but her next words had me staying one hand while my grip tightened in the other.

"He's the one stealing from you."

"Fuck you bitch!" he snarled in her direction and tried to reach for her, but he had no hope of going anywhere with my hand still around his throat.

I was centuries older than him, but knowing she couldn't read vampires' thoughts, I turned to her and asked, "How do you know?"

Seeing Pam had already grabbed a stake before she'd moved to my side made Sookie swallow hard and I could feel the tendrils of fear within her, but you'd never guess by looking at her as she answered, "Ginger. She's out there seething with jealousy thinking you've brought him in here to share me with him and she's wondering if you'd be so generous if you knew he's having her deposit the majority of the bar's profits into his personal account."

I wasn't just impressed at Sookie's telepathic ability, but impressed Ginger was able to form a coherent thought considering the number of times she'd been glamoured in the past. Longshadow wasn't as impressive as he continued to thrash about yelling, "LIAR! You're going to believe a _human_ over one of your own?"

I quickly secured him in silver before handing him off to Pam, answering, "Yes. After all, I've gone _soft_ on my new throne." Turning to Pam, I said, _"Take him elsewhere and dispose of him. I just had the office remodeled and don't want to ruin the new carpet."_

Having never been fond of Longshadow, she grinned back at me before turning to Sookie and saying, "It's so much more fun with you around," and sped from the room with her prisoner in tow.

Now that we were alone again, I turned to Sookie, both seeing and feeling her apprehension, as she asked, "He's not coming back, is he? Like…ever."

"No," I answered taking a seat next to her on the couch. "He not only stole from me; he had the audacity to insult me and _my human_. Our laws are quite different from human laws. His offense is punishable by death and as King I would be viewed as weak if I didn't follow through."

She internally bristled again when I called her _my human_, but she muttered under her breath, "Well you're _my vampire_," and I couldn't manage to argue her point, nor did I feel the need to.

For all intents and purposes, with our agreement I _was_ her vampire and I oddly enjoyed hearing her say it, so I pulled her into my lap, inhaling her delicious scent, and agreed, "That I am lover." I could feel her appeasement through our bond over my verbal agreement and before I could get too carried away, I stood us up and said, "Now, let's go see what your fairy has to say." Knowing there would be others around, I handed her a notepad and pen, adding, "This is in case you hear anything else you think I should be aware of. As I said, I don't want to publicize your gift however I can see now just how handy it can be." When I felt her grim acceptance through the bond, I turned to her and said, "Lover, you aren't required to earn your keep here. If you don't want to read the thoughts of anyone, I will not ask you to."

While I did see how useful her talents would be to my kingdom, I'd much rather hide her away where no one else could get to her. Our blood exchange only increased my desire to protect her from everyone and I'd survived for a very long time without the need of a telepath; I could still do so now.

"I know that Eric," she sighed and wrapped her arms around my waist, laying her head on my chest. "It's a dual edged sword, you know? I've spent my whole life hiding who I am; what I can do and I'm still hiding it now, but I sort of don't want to anymore. I know it's dangerous for others to know and I get that, but I'm tired of people thinking I'm just some dumb blonde barmaid with big boobs."

Personally, I quite liked the size of her breasts and was looking forward to getting to know every inch of them, but hearing her call herself a barmaid made me realize I still knew nothing of her former life. We didn't have the time to discuss it now, but I would make a point to later on and merely joked, "Are they big? I had no idea," and pulled away bringing my hands slowly up in front of her.

My ploy to cheer her up worked because she laughed and swatted my hands away, saying, "God, what is it with you and Pam and feeling up my boobs?"

"Pam has touched you?" I asked with my eyes narrowed.

Sookie grinned back at me, saying, "Gotcha!"

As my little minx and I left my office, my only intention was to head to the dungeons, but seeing Ginger still waiting there made Sookie stop in her tracks and kindly explain that she should probably just head back without Longshadow. Ginger being Ginger became combative and yelled, "He's _mine_ bitch and he's _coming home with me_!"

"GINGER!" I bellowed, making her cower and bow down again.

"Ye…yes…Ma…Master," she stuttered.

I'd never cared for her when I was still at Fangtasia on a daily basis, but I cared for her even less now and she was lucky my lover had me in a good mood, so I ordered her to stand and met her gaze to glamour her away before I gave in to my instincts and just killed her. I could feel Sookie's awe give way to amusement as she watched me do it, I guessed from whatever it was she was reading from her thoughts, but as we walked away from her, through the palace, she giggled and whispered, "You're mean."

"Why is that lover? I'm sure she'll enjoy Alaska. The men far outnumber the women there," I smiled back at her.

She shook her head still chuckling, but we were once again interrupted, now by one of the Dallas vampires. "Your Majesty," she bowed.

"Isabelle," I acknowledged.

She stood up again, saying, "We'll be leaving momentarily, but I wanted to let you know you have friends in Area Nine should you have need of us." I knew she was speaking of Nevada's suspect timing in their arrival the night before, but before I could reply I felt Sookie's fear and apprehension spike. I turned seeing her eyes staring back at the human Isabelle had brought with her and I could feel her need to say something, but I didn't want her gift to become known. It hadn't mattered with Longshadow because I knew he wouldn't be living long enough to tell anyone, however Isabelle was a different story. I trusted her as much as I could trust any vampire from another area, which normally wasn't much at all, but I'd always gotten along well with her in our past dealings. I found her to be brave and above all loyal to her former Sheriff and now King, Stan Davis.

Sookie seemed to remember the notepad still in her hand and she scribbled furiously, allowing me to see what she'd written once she was done. I was left with a conundrum given what she'd heard of the human Hugo's thoughts and having seen him with Isabelle previously, I knew he had been her pet for quite some time. Deciding to feel her out, I told Isabelle, "I appreciate your offer of assistance should I need it and I'd like to offer you a token of my gratitude now, however I would need your word that the origin of the information I'm about to share with you remain between you and I." Seeing her confusion and perhaps hesitance at my request, I added, "It is something you will want to know, but do not take my terms lightly. You do not want to make an enemy out of me."

Seeming to gauge the truth of my words, she bowed once more, saying, "Your Majesty, were it not for the loyalty I have to my own King, I would be one of your subjects now. Whatever it is you wish to share with me will remain between the two of us."

She stood again and made a move to dismiss her human, but I stopped her, saying, "He may stay." Confusion colored both of their faces, but I only turned to Sookie, saying, "You may tell them what you've heard."

Sookie stood regally at my side with her eyes on Isabelle, saying, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Hugo is a spy for the Fellowship." Her fangs snapped down and her head whipped towards him, but not before I could see the hurt in her eyes making me realize he'd been more than just a pet to her. Sookie continued on with, "He was the one that gave them the information that led to Farrell's capture and eventual murder. He's upset that you won't turn him and he thinks that you're just using him even though he's in love with you. As you were speaking to Eric tonight he was wondering how it was I knew to save Eric last night and if the shooter was from the Fellowship as well because he'd been given orders to get the layout of the palace and report back to them. He thought it was odd they didn't tell him there would be an assassination attempt on the King's life."

Isabelle's head whipped back towards Sookie, asking, "How do you know all of this?"

Sookie looked to me and when I nodded, she answered, "I'm a telepath." When she'd acknowledged her gift earlier that night, likening it to being 'a freak of nature' that was exactly how she felt, but now as she voiced her secret she felt nothing but pride.

I felt proud of her as well and when Isabelle looked to me, I added, "She can only hear human's thoughts."

She had no need to know of the others Sookie could hear and I guessed Hugo's thoughts ran to disbelief because she answered his unspoken questions with, "Yes I can hear you. No I'm not crazy. Lawyer. Two kids. Polly. Gabe. That's just sick and I doubt you're fast enough."

Whatever his last thought had been, she was right because he'd barely made his lunge for her when Isabelle had him in her grasp. It appeared she was still reeling with the new information, but she looked back at me with gratitude, saying, "Thank you your Majesty," and turned to Sookie, adding, "And to you as well. He will answer for his crimes, but I will not tell anyone of your gift."

Pam showed up just as Isabelle was leaving with her now glamoured human and turned to Sookie, smiling and saying, "See? It's so much more fun with you around," but I could feel Sookie's sadness start to creep in and I turned to her asking, "What is making you sad?"

She looked up at me seeming unsure and said, "I know you all have your own laws and ways of doing things, but he's a human. What he did was horrible, but I don't like the idea of him being killed over something I told her about. Can't she just turn him in to the human authorities or something?"

I brushed the hair away from her face and looked into her eyes, asking, "What crime did he commit against human laws?"

"He…well…he…just…"

Her head dropped down now seeing the flaw in her logic, but feeling her angst over his wellbeing, I offered, "I suspect he's much more than just a pet to Isabelle, so while he'll likely be punished, he may not be killed." If Stan weren't incapacitated, Hugo wouldn't live to see the next sunrise. I remembered him being outraged when his own nest mate had been kidnapped and there had been a low key culling of the Fellowship herd in Dallas after their fateful sunrise service. He was angry, but he was smart and knew there would be a public outcry had he acted rashly. Steve Newlin's days were still numbered.

It was the only mollification I could give her and she nodded her acceptance and asked, "If I hear something again where the human can be punished by human laws, if they're under your jurisdiction, will you turn them over to the human authorities instead of using vampire justice on them?"

Before Sookie, I would've scoffed at the mere idea of allowing the human authorities to deal with anything having to do with crimes against a vampire, but now; now I could feel her absolute need for me to give her this; now there wasn't much I could think of that I wouldn't do to take away the gnawing I felt inside of her and found myself nodding my agreement.

"_Pussy,"_ I heard Pam say from behind me.

"_You're taking Ginger all the way back to Shreveport and then you'll help her pack before bringing her to the airport. One more word out of you and she'll be your only pet for the next year,"_ I smiled back at her.

"_But she smells like fish!"_ she squawked.

"That's _still_ rude! What are you talking about?" Sookie asked.

I smiled down at her, saying, "Pam was thinking about getting her own _cat_, but I think it's too big of a commitment for her. She said she might like to try it for a year and see."

"Pam!" Sookie chided. "Pets aren't disposable. You shouldn't get one at all unless you know you'll want to take care of it for the rest of its life."

Pam glared back at me before finally looking at Sookie as she said, "You're right. I _do not_ want a _pet_ for even _one night_, not even a _fish_, so I won't be getting one at all."

I could barely feel Sookie's confusion over my own amusement, but before we could get sidetracked again, I said, "Let's go. We need to go see _our guest_ because Pam has an errand to run once we're through."

Ginger was already gone, but Pam had no idea my threat was an empty one and at the end of our interrogation I would allow her to believe I was being lenient. However, it would be some time before she chose to mock me again.

_Perhaps, even a whole week this time._

The smell of fairy became stronger the closer we got to the dungeons. Other than my chambers, this was the most secure area of the palace as it housed not only the prisoners, but a separate wing that was designated for the vampires in my kingdom with the greatest infirmity, most of which had been rescued from drainers. Until they regained their strength, they were susceptible to being captured and killed, so I kept them safe in the meantime.

On our way towards Sigebert's looming stance Sookie stopped in her tracks for the second time that night seeing her former Were guard and I wished she actually _could_ read my mind because if she challenged me in front of the others, I would have no choice but to respond. I could feel her protest seeing him chained, but instead of saying anything out loud, she used her notepad once more and continued silently walking passed him while handing me her note.

_It wasn't his fault I got away. I used my telepathy to hide from him. He kept thinking he couldn't scent me with so many people going in and out of the palace and I probably rubbed up on every last one of them on my way out. You can't blame him. I had an unfair advantage._

I felt strangely proud of her for being able to get all the way home to Bon Temps and it was only due to my persistence and small blood tie to her that she was found at all. Technically the Were had only been tasked with protecting my pet, not guarding her as though she was a prisoner, but it wouldn't hurt him to remain in his chains for the rest of the night because by the end of it he would know exactly what would happen should he fail me again.

_Chains would be the least of his worries._

Sookie continued to scribble away as we walked, but hadn't written much before I was handed another sheet of paper. I guessed she'd sensed the were-tiger's presence because he was still farther down the corridor when I read:

_Quinn is in cahoots with Nevada. I don't know the details, but he was thinking about what he would need to remember to report back to them during your meeting. Mostly about the security you'd be having the night of your coronation as opposed to how strong it was on any other night he was there._

I was already imagining my new tiger skin rug by the time we reached the fairy Preston, but he drew my attention back to him as he looked from Sookie to me and hissed out, "You exchanged blood with her!"

I was surprised he could smell it over the rest of the scents permeating the stagnant air, but seeing how irate he was, I smiled and said, "I did…and it was _quite enjoyable_."

"The Prince will have your head for this!" he snarled.

The Prince could kiss my ass. I was charged with protecting her which, even with her own follies, I'd managed to do, however I would not be handing Sookie back over to him willingly and if that ignited a war with the Fae, then so be it. She certainly seemed to have no affection for her distant kin and if we did forge a permanent bond, then he would have no rights to take her. It only added more items to my ever growing list, but I needed to test Sookie's tolerance to iron and lemons. If her mostly human body could withstand them, then she could use them to protect herself if they tried to take her against her will again.

"Why are you here?" I asked. I expected silence or perhaps claims of guarding her at Niall's behest, so what I heard shocked and then enraged me.

"She is mine."

Pam's, "Oh no, he didn't!" was drowned out by Sookie's exclamation of, "I most certainly am NOT!"

His eyes softened towards her, which only served to anger me more, when he said, "Princess, from the first moment I laid eyes on you I knew I would one day make you my Queen. I would give you everything your heart desired. You would likely be able to carry our children to term since you are a hybrid and with our bloodlines, our offspring will be magnificent! You have the essential spark with only an eighth of the Brigant blood running through your veins and with my ability to shapeshift handed down, our children will be a force the likes of which Breandan and his followers have never…"

My blood was boiling hearing him speak of children that would never be born from my mate; children I would never be able to give her should she desire them and it only fueled my anger, so I was but a blur before I had him by his throat with his feet dangling in the air and his face inches from mine as I cutoff his claims and roared, "SOOKIE IS MINE!"

He'd already been significantly weakened from being surrounded by iron for twenty-four hours, not that he would've had much hope besting me even at his full strength, but didn't fight against me and strangely, even being that close to him, the only desire I had for his blood was to shed it, not drink it. My bond with Sookie told me she would be accepting if I were to kill him now and while I wanted to, I knew it wouldn't be prudent of me to do so. If Niall wanted him back, I would grant him his consolation prize because as I said;

_Sookie is mine._

I'd gripped his throat long enough for him to lose consciousness and let him drop unceremoniously to the stone floor before spinning around and claiming Sookie's lips with my own. I might not be able to claim her body just yet, but with the way she kissed me back and her feelings through the bond told me she was mine too.

My test with the Were guards in my employ the night before showed they were unable to enter my chambers while in wolf form and the witch could offer no explanation as to how he'd been able to enter. I had to assume it was a combination of being in animal form along with his Fae magic, but I wouldn't know until I could question Niall and seeing as how I had no intention of returning his great-granddaughter, we may never know.

When I finally pulled back from our kiss with her now panting air into her lungs, I led us out of the dungeons. I wasn't thinking clearly enough to deal with the were-tiger or the human shooter just now, but as we reached the hallway that would lead to the exit I heard the faint voice of one of the vampires in the recovery wing call out, "Your Majesty? May I speak with you for a moment?"

Pam rolled her eyes hearing his voice and truthfully I never cared for him either when he'd been an underling in Sophie-Anne's court, but he was admittedly resourceful and I was duty bound to see to his recovery following his injuries in Rhodes. I turned to Pam, saying, "Escort Sookie back to my chambers. I will follow along shortly."

"What of my _errand_?" she pouted.

There was no use in trying to hide my smile because she would feel my amusement anyway as I said, "I'll let you out of it _this time_."

She knew better than to say anything else and once they were both gone from my sight, I turned and walked down the hallway, opening his door and saying, "You wanted to speak with me Bill?"

"Yes your Majesty…did I hear you say, Sookie?"

**Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: Sorry for the delay…pretend Swedish down there and all that jazz.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, but the kitten has a name now.**

Chapter Eight

**SPOV**

As soon as we were safely back inside of Eric's chambers, I turned to Pam, asking, "How buddy buddy are fairies and demons?"

It sounded like the title of a bad knockoff Dan Brown novel, but she clearly wasn't expecting my question and I wondered if her cocked eyebrow Eric impersonation was a byproduct of being his child or if she'd had it all along. After a long moment, she responded, "I don't know of any discord between them and half-breed demons are used by many in the Supernatural community. They have been integrated within the human society for years with many of them in the field of law while some are in the employ of various kingdoms as messengers. Demons, even half-breeds, are fierce and very hard to kill. Why do you ask?"

It had been bugging me ever since I heard Preston say the 'Prince' would have Eric's head for exchanging blood with me and had reminded me of the half-demon's thoughts the night before, but Eric was so wound up hearing Preston call me 'his', I probably would've been able to feel his emotions without our tiny bond, so I didn't say anything right away.

_I was with Eric on that one. I would never agree to be Preston's anything._

I'd been wondering if perhaps the demon was working with Niall, although that didn't make too much sense seeing as how he'd seemed surprised I was alive, but just as I was about to tell Pam all about it, Eric stormed into the room, barking, _"Fetch me Sophie-Anne's private journals. The bitch was up to something involving Sookie and I want to know what it is right now!"_

Boy I really hated when they did that and hearing my name while watching Pam fly out of the room didn't help any, so I fisted my hands at my side and may have even stomped my foot as I demanded, "What did you just say? I heard my name and is it really so hard for you to speak English around me?"

I could feel the anger and possessiveness running through him, but I somehow knew he would never hurt me and wasn't afraid when he was suddenly in my face, asking, "Have you had any involvement with vampires prior to your arrival here?"

Stunned by his question, I answered, "What? No! You were the first vampire I ever met. Why?"

Once I figured out I couldn't hear their thoughts, I probably would've latched onto the first vampire I met, had it been under different circumstances, since I could relax around them and not have to work at keeping my shields up. Eric and I didn't get along at first, but that was only because of my stubbornness and the fact I was being babysat by him for Niall. Now though, I'd grown incredibly fond of both him and Pam. She was the closest I'd ever come to having a best friend since even Tara, while kind to me, often times felt wary around me because of my curse, but not Pam. She teased me; joked around with me and I'd internally chuckled more than once over the last two weeks that it took meeting a vampire for me to finally feel like a normal human being. And Eric, well…I couldn't see using the title of boyfriend with him, no matter what we explored together, so I'd take a page out of his book instead and just call him _mine_, but I wasn't feeling all warm and fuzzy for him right now when he ignored my question and instead ordered, "Tell me of your life before Niall took you."

I felt my own eyebrow creep up in response and even though I still wanted to ask him to find out anything he could about Jason, my pigheadedness reared up with me ordering him back with, "Tell me why!"

Once again I found myself encased inside of six and a half feet of pissed off vampire, but I could tell his anger wasn't directed at me, so I forced myself to calm down and mumbled, "You sure are a grabby thing when you're being all barky with your angry King face on."

I'd seen his angry King face numerous times, but never within his own chambers and I felt him take a deep breath he didn't need and sigh against the top of my head, with his anger ratcheting down from boiling hot to a simmer, while his hands slid down further and squeezed my rear end as he agreed, "Yes lover, I am." I couldn't even call him out on it considering I'd done my own handsy _exploring _on the same part of his body earlier that night, so I remained silent when he sat us down on the couch with me still in his lap and looked back at me, explaining, "A vampire under my fealty was injured in the bombing at Rhodes while attending a summit of the Amun Clan last month. Prior to that, he was a procurer for the former monarch, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, who was killed in that same bombing. He's currently recovering in one of the rooms down from the dungeons and he is the one who asked to speak with me as we were leaving." His eyes got hard and I could feel the suspicion and protectiveness rising up inside of him as he added, "He knows of you."

"What?" I asked. "How does he know me? What's his name?"

"Bill Compton," he spat out.

Compton? I pushed away every question I had about bombings and clans and just focused on saying, "The house next door to Gran's, the one on the other side of the cemetery, belonged to a Jessie Compton, but he passed away not long before Niall kidnapped me and there's a William T. Compton buried in the cemetery. The date of his death was during the Civil War. Do you think it could be him?"

I imagined it would be odd to have your very own grave marker if you weren't really dead, but since vampires didn't come out of the coffin until just a few years ago, it made sense, however my thoughts were quickly brought back to the here and now when Eric's arms tightened around me, answering, "It would seem so. He was turned vampire during that era. Do you think it's possible you may have met him before and just not known he was vampire?"

"No," I answered already shaking my head. "You all have a glow about you and the fact I can't read your thoughts would've rang alarm bells in my head. I would've remembered, especially since you said I can't be glamoured."

I felt his tension lessen somewhat hearing my explanation, but his shock quickly took over, asking, "You can see our glow?" When I nodded, he added, "That is unusual. I've never heard of a human being able to see it."

"Partial human," I mumbled. I didn't particularly enjoy the thought I was part mythical creature, even if it was only an eighth, and it reminded me to ask, "Did you taste fairy blood in me?"

I didn't know if it was from the look on his face or what I could feel through our bond, but I wasn't surprised when he answered, "Yes." I could feel myself slowly sliding into my pity party for one when Eric shook me from my thoughts and brought our conversation back on track, saying, "Compton claims he was in Bon Temps around the time of your disappearance and remembered hearing about it while there. He said his visit was due to the fact he'd heard his last living relative had passed away and was interested in possibly returning to his former human home, but when he saw the state of disrepair it was in he changed his mind and returned to New Orleans within a few days."

"You don't believe him?" I asked, since both his tone of voice and his blood inside me told me he didn't.

"No," he answered unsurprisingly. "Bon Temps falls within my former area and as Sheriff, he should've checked in with me to inform me of his presence. Vampires are given two weeks to do so upon their arrival however it rarely goes beyond two days before they request an audience and with Compton's former role as a procurer for the Queen, I question his true motives. He may have been sent for you."

"That makes no sense," I exclaimed. "Why would she want me? How would she even know who I was?"

He looked back at me like I was a blond barmaid with big boobs and I kind of felt like one when he answered, "You are a part-Fae telepath. Your blood alone would have been coveted, but having access to your gift would've been the true prize. As to how she knew about you, I do not know. Were your skills well known to those around you?"

I was so glad I could feel Eric's emotions, no matter how small, because without that tie I'm sure I would've questioned his motives for wanting me, but I all night long I could feel everything he'd been feeling and knew he just wanted _me_, so it put me at ease enough to answer, "My family knew, but we really didn't talk about it much. The rest of the town…well, let's just say they didn't _want_ to believe it and mostly just thought I was crazy."

His emotions ran hot again and I wondered how long it would be before I just thought of him as 'angry possessive vampire' instead of 'Eric', when he asked, "They thought of you as _crazy_?"

"Yes!" I answered just has hotly, remembering their hurtful thoughts. "Why wouldn't they when I walked around with my Crazy Sookie smile on my face to hide the fact I could hear them wondering if my boobs were real, if I was blond all over, and all of the other nasty things they wanted to do to me?"

Feeling my hurt, Eric pulled me against his chest and nuzzled his face against my head while rubbing his hands up and down my back. Feeling the fury and indignation running through him over my lot in life, but not one ounce of pity reminded me I could have had it much worse. Gran didn't raise any Pitiful Pearls either and when I was finally able to get a hold of myself, he purred, "I am."

I lifted my head to look back at him, not understanding what he was talking about, when 'angry possessive vampire' turned into 'flirty playful vampire' a second later with him adding with a leer, "Blond all over."

My face flashed hot and he chuckled when I hit him over the head with the couch cushion just as Pam walked back into the room with several leather bound books in her hands, saying, "Sookie, I think in order to fulfill his fantasy you need to be dressed in lingerie before engaging him in a pillow fight."

My face reddened even more when Eric agreed, "She is correct lover. Feel free to go and change if the mood strikes."

_So I struck him again with the cushion instead._

Without missing a beat, Eric looked at Pam with his hair sticking up every which way thanks to my couch cushion smacking skills and said, "She is not in the mood."

"I don't need a blood bond to know that," she deadpanned back at him and then looking at me, she added, "Sookie, we need to do some shopping. Your goody two shoes are much too tight." When my only response was to glare at her, since I had a feeling she'd take the retort, 'bite me' way too literally, she shrugged and looked back at Eric, saying, "Here are the journals," while placing them on the coffee table in front of us. "What are we looking for?"

Eric didn't answer at first and I moved off of his lap to give him room while watching him flip through book after book and only becoming more and more enraged until he finally threw them one by one across the room, growling, "Nothing! If Compton was tasked to seek out Sookie then she wasn't foolish enough to have documented it."

The fury he felt was rolling off of him in palpable waves, so Pam and I eye fought each other over who was going to take the risk and speak to her angry Maker first with me somehow drawing the short straw. There wasn't enough of me to completely encase him like he always did to me and stripping down to my underwear as a distraction just wasn't going to happen, so instead I moved back on top of his lap and softly asked, "So what if she did? She's gone now and I'm…" I still struggled with the terminology, but since I'd agreed I eventually admitted, "yours."

_And he was mine. He'd agreed too!_

"Yes," he agreed with a different kind of fire in his eyes, adding, "You are."

I thought maybe I'd heard Pam sigh about something being unfair, but I couldn't be bothered to find out about what since I was too wrapped up in Eric and his lips and the things he was doing to my self-control. I could feel he needed more than just my vocal admission I was his and remembering Preston's ability to, I assume, smell our blood exchange, I figured Eric would be able to taste his own blood in mine as well, so on a whim I slashed my tongue across his descended fang thinking it would help.

_Oh, it helped alright._

I'm pretty sure I felt the vibration of his growl all the way to my girly bits and possibly even my ovaries quivered, so I was having a hard time remembering what we'd been talking about or why we weren't naked or why my lungs were burning.

_And I could feel Eric was just having a hard time._

My fingers twisted into his hair and tried to pull him back, while my lips chased after his when he finally broke away, saying, "Breathe, lover."

Breathing seemed totally overrated right then and if it wasn't an involuntary reflex, I probably would've kept going until I passed out, however with every breath of fresh oxygen to my system, more of my faculties returned and I blushed bright red and turned to face Pam to apologize for being so rude, but she wasn't there. "Pam's gone," I supplied helpfully because my oxygen deprived brain thought as her Maker he should know these things.

"She'll be back," he breathed into my neck and I automatically arched into his fangs scraping lightly across my skin, which made him grip me that much tighter in his arms.

"What is it?" I asked. His body was still tense and while I knew some of it was due to our little make-out session, I could feel there was more behind it.

"Compton," he scowled, pulling back to look at me. "His story doesn't hold water. From the limited knowledge I have of his history, it seems unlikely he would've wanted to return to a town like Bon Temps, regardless if his human home still remained there. I haven't known him to mainstream at all since the Great Revelation and a town of that size wouldn't offer much by way of _variety_ for his meals. He would also be running the risk of being isolated in the event the townspeople didn't take kindly to having his presence within their community."

I felt my gruff go up and was about to tell him that everyone would've welcomed him or any other vampire with open arms, but then I thought about it and knew deep down inside that wasn't really true. Even poor Lafayette who had lived there his whole life was treated as being an outcast for being different, so I could only imagine how they might react to a vampire.

_I couldn't exactly see Arlene asking one to babysit her kids._

Considering how much I enjoyed their presence in my life, if only for the relaxation factor, it probably would've made me an even bigger outcast had I befriended any vampires while I'd still been living at home.

_My home, that didn't exist anymore._

Since there was nothing I could do about Bill Compton (not even read his mind), I decided now was a good a time as any and asked, "Would you mind looking up my brother Jason for me? You know, just to see how he's doing?"

My heart ached over the thought of him having to deal with Gran's death all by himself, but I knew it was too dangerous to go looking for him myself; for both of our sakes. Lord only knows what happened to Gran and the house, but the fact that Preston had been waiting there disguised as my cat didn't exactly make me want to trust the fairies either, no matter if some of them were my kin. For all I knew, they were the ones responsible, but since at least one of them seemed hell bent on getting to me, I had to assume Niall was being truthful with Eric when he'd said there would be others with the same goal and didn't want to risk Jason's life on top of my own.

_He was the only family member I had left._

As if he'd read my mind, Eric asked, "Do you have other family members you wish for me to track down?"

If there was a God, my Uncle Bartlett would've died while I'd been gone, but I didn't care enough to know and Hadley had been gone for so long by that point, she was more than likely dead too, so I just shook my head no.

"Tell me of your life," he said, using a much nicer tone this time.

I wanted to use his quid pro quo line on him, but Pam had already informed me that vampires were generally very secretive and didn't tend to share much, if any, information about themselves with humans. It had been her insight, along with my own observations, that made me realize how privileged I was just in getting to see the two of them behind closed doors where they didn't wear any masks.

_They just sometimes rudely spoke Swedish._

So while I was extremely curious about Eric's life, I didn't want to put him on the spot and hoped one day he would see fit to share some of his past with me. Even in normal relationships I knew people didn't just spill every detail of their lives to one another right away, so I lumped that into the category of _exploring_ for now, but I could also see why he would need to know more about me if only to be able to protect me better and said, "There's not much to tell. I grew up in Bon Temps. My parents died in a flash flood when I was seven, so Gran took me and Jason in and raised us as her own." I shrugged my shoulders at the end of it not knowing what else he would want to know while thinking my obituary would be pretty short and sad.

_Hopefully I would have the time to work on adding to it._

"You called yourself a barmaid earlier," he offered almost like a question.

"Merlotte's," I nodded, wondering how poor Sam was doing. I'd known at one point he'd taken a shine to me, but he'd never acted on it and had been the only boss I'd ever had whose thoughts didn't make me want to quit. I may have even enjoyed watching him lift a case of beer or two once upon a time, but I knew nothing could ever come of it and just considered myself lucky knowing I could count him as one of my friends. But then Sam's thoughts had always been a little hazy…

_Wait! Sam?_

Now that I knew the cause for that haziness, it all suddenly clicked in my brain at the same time Eric asked, "You worked for the shifter?"

"He's a shifter?" I asked. Pam had given me a brief rundown on Weres and the like, but thanks to Preston's unexpected visit I knew what a shape shifter was and felt a little perturbed Sam hadn't trusted me enough to share his secret, even though he knew about my disability. However, I put that on the backburner and followed up with, "You know Sam?"

"Yes," he answered with his body stiffening. "I was Sheriff of that Area for a very long time, so I know of most, if not all, of the Supernaturals there."

Pam had also told me that the Supernatural community only banded together when it came to dealing with humans, otherwise it was every group for themselves and I attributed his tension to that until he asked, "You are _fond_ of the _dog_?"

_Stupid blood bond._

"Yes I am _fond_ of _Sam_!" I retorted hotly, not knowing if the dog reference was because that's what he shifted into or if Eric just viewed him that way because he was a man, who wasn't Eric, I was fond of. "I'm a little ticked off at him for not sharing his secret with me when he knew about mine, but he was a good boss to me and an even better friend. I don't have so many of them that I can afford to write one off just because he gets furry once a month!"

"_Just_ a _friend_?" he asked, obviously digging thanks to whatever he'd felt from me.

_Careful what you wish for vampire…_

"Yes. Just. A. Friend," I spit out, letting myself feel every hurt and indignant emotion I could muster up. "I told you earlier I haven't done anything with anyone before, but let me spell it out for you. I never dated. Most of the times whenever someone asked me out, I could read from their thoughts it was only on a dare because I was Crazy Sookie, but my _big rack_ made it worth the risk. Even if I could've kept my shields up long enough to get through a movie with anyone, the moment they touched me it was like every thought in their head was screaming in mine. The closest I ever got was kissing JB Du Rone and that was only because he was simple minded, but I still couldn't go through with anything else." I only let the hurt linger for a moment before my anger swept through me with me saying, "So get _that_ through your thick vampire skull right now because while you might only truly die from silver or a wooden stake through your heart, I'm sure having your skin ripped to shreds by the _million_ shards of glass about to rain down on you right now from your little glass house won't feel so great."

_Stupid possessive vampire!_

I could understand his reactions when Preston tried to claim me earlier, but I wasn't going to be okay with him acting this way just because I had male friends. Granted, I couldn't exactly visit with any of them at the moment or even explain where I'd been for the last year and a half, but that was beside the point, especially considering everything I'd seen from the donors' minds and hadn't once held it against him.

I wrenched myself free from his grasp and stomped over picking up my new kitty and just because I was feeling especially bitter, I kissed the top of his head and said, "Hello Sam." I hadn't even checked to see if it was a boy or girl yet, but it didn't matter to me since Sam could be used for either gender and one look back at Eric's annoyed expression made the kitty's name final.

Pam walked back in seconds later with neither one of us breaking off our mutual stare down, but he had an unfair advantage since he didn't need to blink and when my body forced me to lose that round (I only felt better because I knew I had a trump card: sunrise), I turned to face Pam, whose eyes darted from Eric back to me and saying, "Well, I feel better now that I've fed, but it seems I'm the only one."

Not knowing if Eric had gotten my point, I decided to really drive it home and asked her, "How are _the donors_ doing this evening?"

I was learning quickly I could always count on Pam to help me torment her Maker and she smiled, replying, "Oh, you know…the same as usual…asking about when _His Majesty_ might be _coming_ to see them."

"Mmmhmmm," I murmured and felt my eyebrow creep up into my hairline as my eyes returned to Eric.

"_Replace them all by tomorrow night. She's pissed off enough at me as it is,"_ he snapped at her.

"_Again, I don't need a blood bond with her to know this, but since you're giving me free rein, expect to see nothing but busty blonds coming out of the woodwork tomorrow,_" she smiled back at him.

"_It makes no difference,"_ he smirked back at her. _"I have the best one."_

"_Are you so sure about that oh thickheaded Maker of mine?"_ she grinned.

I really hated when they did that, but I was pretty sure Pam had my back on this one considering the scowl Eric was wearing, so I mentally tagged her for my turn and said, "Sammy-kins? Is my pretty little kitty hungry?" and walked into my room to make sure he/she had food while checking its privates.

_He. All the better…_

I was even more peeved when I returned to the living room and saw Eric was gone with only Pam sitting there. I couldn't feel his emotions well enough from any greater distance than the span of his chambers, so I knew he'd left them altogether and I felt the sting of betrayal rise up wondering if maybe I'd pushed him too far; asked too much of him and he'd gone to the donors lounge.

_After all, I was just a blond barmaid with big boobs and an even bigger mouth._

"He's gone to see to the were-tiger," Pam offered seeing my expression.

That made me feel somewhat better, but even though he drove me crazy, I still missed him and asked, "Well, shouldn't I be there to read his mind?"

Pam smiled, answering, "Eric has his own ways of getting information and he seems to need to work off some _frustration_, but he doesn't want you anywhere near Compton."

I guess I could understand that and I knew he had other King stuff to do as well, but that didn't make me miss him any less. Seeing it was already after two o'clock in the morning and feeling the weight of everything wash over me, I decided to turn in. I didn't know if Eric had managed to give me more blood after I'd been injured the night before, but my body, while healed, felt tired so I said goodnight to Pam and went back into my room. Eric and I hadn't gotten the chance to do my scans and pin code so I couldn't go into his room and I didn't even know if he'd still want me there with him, but my bed that had been so comfortable every other night was anything but now. It was a wonder I fell asleep at all.

I don't know if it was the rustling of the sheets or the nuzzling of my hair that woke me up, but I felt Eric's body curved around me from behind and opened my eyes. An unbidden smile came on my face seeing the black sheets of his bed underneath me and it got even bigger seeing Kitty Sam curled up on my pillow, but my biggest smile was saved for when I rolled over and saw Eric staring back at me.

"I do not like having…feelings," he said slowly.

_What did that mean? Did he change his mind about us? _

My mind dove right back to my memories of him with the donors wondering if that was how he'd chosen to work off his frustrations, but before I could get too far, he continued on with, "I do not like knowing you were mistreated by the vermin in your town. I do not like your _fondness_ for the dog or even your Were guard for that matter, but I do not like feeling your hurt and sadness more. It is not in my nature to feel anything not associated with what my survival dictates and yet, for you, I feel more. It is unfamiliar to me and I do not understand it, but I do not wish to change it."

Now that he was right next to me, I could feel his emotions run the gamut from anger to jealousy to tender and confused. He'd meant every word he'd said and I'd already known how he was with all of those other women. I'd 'seen' it for myself.

_He was nothing like that with me._

We were on even footing when it came to knowing how to act in a relationship, so I couldn't be angry at him and the fact he'd brought me back into his room spoke volumes. Smiling back at him, I said, "But you do like me."

"I thought I'd made that clear, lover," he smirked back at me.

I could feel his happiness at feeling my own, so I moved closer to him and said, "Well, I like you too, so we'll figure out the rest of it together," and as soon as our lips touched, my body molded onto his making me wonder what else we'd be figuring out for the rest of the night.

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: So barky angry faced King Eric was all up in my junk with furious fangs flashing at me for leaving off the last chapter where I did and he may have even made a few utterances I couldn't actually see coming from him like, "I'll cut you bitch!" Umm…yeah, so here you go. It doesn't pick up quite where the last chapter left off, but I needed to get out what Eric was up to when he pulled his Sookie disappearing act. Pretend Swedish reminder and a smidgeon of violence warning down below.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just giving Eric his own kitty to play with.**

Chapter Nine

**EPOV**

As soon as Sookie and _Sammy-kins_ were out of sight, I turned to Pam saying, _"Have Reuben look into the whereabouts of her brother Jason and the details of her grandmother's death along with the fire at their home. I want a full report by tomorrow evening, but right now I feel the need to skin a cat. Stay with her."_

I flew out of my chambers needing to be away from her. Not only were her feelings through our bond pushing me to the brink of insanity, but my own feelings were in turmoil; the turmoil encompassing the fact I had _feelings_ for her at all beyond lust and desire, which I had in spades.

While I headed towards the dungeons I quickly ran through my every action and reaction I'd had since her arrival and didn't like what I found. The fact alone I'd readily agreed to only feed from, while not even yet fucking, her was sheer insanity, as was the undeniable fact I'd had no true desire to feed or fuck anyone else in the short time she'd been there. I couldn't even blame her sinfully tasteful Fae blood because I'd only had it for the first time the night before, nor could I blame my own blood in her since she hadn't truly desired me until our bond was nearly extinguished. And the emotions the woman managed to bring out in me…

_Aggravating…infuriating…irritating…insufferable…_

_Stunningly beautiful…charming…delightfully amusing…magnificent woman. _

Even within the first moments of Niall leaving her with me, my first thought had been to give her my blood in order to protect her. For a thousand years I'd only ever shared it with a human in turning my child, but with Sookie, doing so had been my only thought in order to protect her when I could have easily left her in one of the iron cells to keep out the Fae while surrounding her with Weres throughout the day and vampire at night to keep away the demons. I'd been greeted no less by the sight of her bound and gagged when she first arrived; she looked like a prisoner however it never crossed my mind to treat her as such. Strengthening our bond only made my attachment to her increase a hundred fold and yet even now, my instincts were screaming for me to exchange blood with her again.

_Insanity._

My need to make sense of it all only increased my speed and soon the scent of the fairy saturated the air as I entered the dungeons and with it, it brought back my thoughts upon hearing his false claim of Sookie being his. Vampire were possessive by nature and while I'd never cared enough to claim any human as my own, my reaction to his misconception went above and beyond anything resembling normal. The desire to kill him had been a natural one, but thinking of her as my _mate_ was something else entirely. Even as my mind now tried to refute the notion, the rest of me revolted over the thought of _anyone_ else ever claiming her in any way. I'd nearly ended my own child for getting too close while Sookie had been injured when her only desire had been to help.

_Madness._

_But since I'm already here…_

Sigebert moved to the side while I faced the now lucid fairy and demanded, "By what right do you claim Sookie as your own?" My knowledge of Fae customs were negligible at best, but their race dated back millennia, so it would stand to reason arranged marriages were the norm among them and if she'd been promised to him by Niall, I wanted to know.

_Because then I'd have TWO fairies to kill._

I barely had the chance to shake my head over my own ridiculous thoughts of starting a war with the Fae, more so for the conviction I felt knowing full well I would, over starting the war itself, when he spat out, "She is a Fae Princess! My right to her goes above any claim of a mere _vampire_."

Had Sookie been promised to him by Niall, it would've been his first response, so I now knew him to be just another delusional suitor standing alongside a dog and possibly a wolf.

"A blood bond supersedes all within the Supernatural community," I reminded him. Even though, logically, my mind hadn't settled upon that course of action it seemed a likely occurrence since I appeared to have lost all rational thought when it came to Sookie.

_Hopefully my own recklessness wouldn't end up killing us both._

His fallacy was his own, so I turned away from his cell to finally deal with the were-tiger when his words filtered in behind me.

"But you couldn't follow us back into Faery."

A second later he lay unconscious, crumpled on the stone floor, with a pool of blood forming around his head from where I'd slammed him against the iron bars hard enough that there was now a Preston shaped dent adorning his cell. I calmly walked over and straightened the bars by hand before turning to Sigebert and saying, "Have this mess cleaned up. I don't need every vampire in the palace scenting his blood with the resulting frenzy that would ensue."

When he made no move to carry out my orders I felt my eyebrow rise up in silent question when I realized he was merely calming himself over the scent of the fairy's blood. It made me recognize, once again, I had no desire for it even as I watched it spill freely across the floor. Even his scent didn't call to me as I knew it should have and once Sigebert had regained his composure I walked away still perplexed by my immunity to it all.

While Sookie's scent and blood were laced with traces of Fae, I found her to be practically irresistible, but not so enticing that I wanted to drain her. It was a fine line I walked upon, but the thought of her no longer existing ripped away at my insides and threatened to unleash the monster contained within me. I'd seen the reactions of other vampires in her presence within my Court and while they certainly coveted her, still the youngest of them could control themselves around her. Even my own child, whom I could feel, and beside myself was closest to her, didn't crave her in the same way I did.

_Lunacy._

I smiled seeing the mighty Quinn, celebrated pit fighter and two-faced bitch extraordinaire, shackled by silver manacles around his wrists and ankles, so that his arms and legs were spread wide against the concrete block wall behind him forming a were-tiger letter X.

_Bullseye. _

My fist connected with his sternum where X marked the spot in my mind and he howled in pain above the sound of his ribs snapping from the force of my blow. I could have put my fist straight through his body and connected with the wall behind him, but I'd never get any answers out of him that way and calmly asked, "What is your mission for Nevada?"

Sweat was pouring off of his disgusting bald head making the air smell even more putrid and his eyes yellowed, but he was too weak to shift and wheezed out, "Wh..what? I…I don't…know…what you're talking about."

Shaking my head and clucking my tongue, I reached for a silver blade and used it to prick the tip of my finger, watching the small pool of blood form into a bead for a moment, and then walked towards him, saying, "Bad kitty."

I felt a bit more settled after leaving behind the remaining scraps of the were-tiger, although I was a bit disappointed were's couldn't maintain their animal form when killed or else I'd have that tiger skin rug. Nevada would be back, of that I had no doubt, but Quinn knew nothing of enough importance about my kingdom's security in order to help facilitate a takeover without removing me from the equation first, so as long as I remained vigilant, all would be well.

_However remaining vigilant was both the key and the predicament._

Even now, my thoughts were that I would require a shower before allowing Sookie to see me. Every fucking thought in my head somehow clawed a path straight back to her and it was driving me crazy. If the thought alone didn't absolutely push me to the brink of unrestrained fury, I would kill her myself to be rid of the distraction, but I couldn't; ever.

_It took a twenty-something former barmaid from a backwater bayou to completely bewilder me and alter every course of action I'd learned was necessary to survive for over a thousand years. _

I should send her away. I should put her under Pam's charge and completely separate myself from her now, only returning to her side should I feel she were in danger. I should no longer exchange blood with her. I should go straight to the donor lounge and take every last one of them to prove to both myself and Sookie that we could not be. She was a hindrance to my survival. I was too depraved for an innocent like her.

_My chest seized at the thought._

I could not understand why I felt the way I did, but I could not deny it either. Something about her continued to draw me to her and while I didn't like feeling all of the things she brought out in me, I couldn't imagine letting her go, so I'd have no choice but to adapt.

It was only the sound of rustling chains that brought me out of my thoughts and I found myself standing in front of the inept Were guard. While I'd felt minute twinges of lust when Sookie had mentioned the dog's bar (and had produced another irrational reaction from me), I'd never felt it from her when she'd been with the wolf, however that gave me no insight on his feelings for her. My claim on her was no longer a charade in order to protect her; she was mine in every way, so I looked down at him and asked, "Do you have any romantic attachments?"

Truthfully, I could use Sookie's telepathic skills right now, but I doubted she'd be agreeable in helping me ascertain if the Were wanted to fuck her or worse, had romantic feelings for her. She had enough Supernatural devotees and the last thing I wanted was to give yet another one of them access to her.

His eyes widened and his heart rate increased as he asked, "Why? Oh God, is Debbie here?"

He started rambling out it was solely his responsibility that Sookie had disappeared from the palace, I assume in trying to save this Debbie from my imagined wrath, so I cut him off and used it against him, asking, "Are you _fond_ of Debbie?"

"Of course I am," he growled. "If I didn't love her I wouldn't have proposed to her."

_All the better._

He would've heard the tiger's screams and the fact I was covered in his blood helped in aiding me to stress exactly what would happen to him should he fail me again. Sookie's talent, while impressive, was inconsequential in regards to his failure and while I had no immediate plans to let her out of my or Pam's sight, I knew it to only be a matter of time before I would have to allow her out during the daytime. Her bloodline was that of the Sky Fae and she likely already craved feeling the sunlight on her skin, so I would have no choice.

_Because I already knew I couldn't deny her anything._

Several profuse apologies and promises of no future infractions from the Were later and I was once again inside of my chambers. Pam's nose twitched in irritation upon my arrival, saying, "Normally I don't mind a little pussy blood, but that's just disgusting."

Since I happened to agree with her, I said nothing and entered my room only to storm back out and ask, "Why is Sookie not in my room?" I could understand her earlier irritation, but I wouldn't put up with any childish behavior (aside from her lingerie clad pillow fighting). She knew I'd meant for her to stay in my room with me and the fact she'd chosen to return to her own room left me unsettled and riled.

Pam was pushing her luck by rolling her eyes at me, but I felt like an even bigger ass when she said, "How would she have gotten in?"

I'd forgotten to take the necessary steps with her so she could enter and exit my room at will when I first returned, but my child had access, so I asked, "Why didn't you let her in?"

The bitch rolled her eyes again and went back to filing her nails, saying, "She wandered around the room in circles trying to come up with an excuse for you to need her telepathic skills and once I assured her you were a big boy, she went to bed. She did not _ask me_ to let her into your room. You did not _tell me_ to let her into your room. You _told me_ to get her a _pussy_, so that's what _she's_ cuddled up to right now while you stand there smelling like a _foul one_ and all I'm left with is _none_. So, Papa Bear, I guess that makes her Goldilocks and fuck me if I'm not Baby Bear."

She was lucky I was impatient to see Sookie again, so after one last glare aimed her way, I sped into the shower and washed away what was left of the tiger. Pam had left the chambers by the time I walked back out and crossed into Sookie's room, drawing in a deep breath, so her scent would cleanse my sinuses of the rank tiger's. I had no idea if she was still angry with me since she was fast asleep, but it still didn't stop me from picking her up and carrying her back to my room. The kitten I would never call by name mewled in protest, so I reluctantly brought him in too and placed him on her pillow beside her head before retrieving everything else they would need during the day and then crawling in behind her. Every time she was near all I wanted to do was rub myself all over her, marking her with my scent. It was idiotic considering she was never out of my or Pam's sight and rarely around others, but I couldn't help myself with my mind always chanting the same thing.

_Mine…mine…mine…mine…mine…_

All of the confusion I'd felt earlier was still there. The only thing I'd been able to work out was that I was okay with being confused. My want for her rose above every other concern I had and as she stirred awake thanks to my incessant need to inhale her skin, the smile she gave me would have left me breathless had I needed to breathe. While she could see my own glow, she too glowed like the sun when she looked at me that way and it warmed me the same as the sun once warmed my skin on frozen shores. I wanted to deny the things she made me feel, but I found I didn't want to lie to her and offered her a different truth instead.

"I do not like having…feelings."

_But I crave you…your presence more than I care to admit._

I yearned for vengeance against all of the simpletons in her past that had caused her to be hurt. I wanted to be the only one she desired and would gladly rip the shifter to shreds, no matter the debt I owed him for contacting my child when he'd found me cursed. But most of all I just wished for her to be happy, if only so she would always grace me with her smile, and even though that confounded me most of all, it was true and I would change none of it even if I could, so I told her so in less-romanticized words.

Her emotions moved from confused back to happy once more and that too warmed me, as did her underestimation of my feelings for her when she smiled and clarified, "But you do like me."

I was sure she could feel the evidence of how much I liked her pressing into her stomach and with her declaration made of liking me too, her lips were on mine. She tasted like nothing I had any memory for and yet I wanted to devour her whole. Kissing had been a waste of time until I'd kissed Sookie and now I could spend hours doing nothing but. The softness of her lips and the sweet yet demanding strokes of her tongue drove me wild with her body, so warm and soft underneath me, I knew I could get lost in it forever, but it was her wandering hands that pushed at my restraint.

It had seemed innocent enough with her hands trailing down my bare back and I moaned in approval when her fingernails dug into my sides, but when they slipped into the waistband of the lounge pants I'd thrown on, in deference to her modesty, and she gripped my ass while spreading her legs to wrap around my own, I was barely holding on by a thread. When she moaned back into my mouth while pulling me down and grinding herself against my aching dick, I growled in warning, "Careful lover, you're provoking the beast."

I was sure she had no idea of how much I truly wanted her and how little it would take for me to lose control, especially when she giggled and I felt one of her hands slide to the front of my pants with me hissing out the air in my lungs, feeling her hot little hand circling my shaft, as she asked, "Is that what you named it, The Beast?"

_Fuck…who would've thought a first time handjob from a virgin would feel better than every fuck I could ever remember?_

I knew my best bet at retaining any rational thought would be by trying to maintain a conversation, so I smirked down at her, doing nothing to stop her from completing her tortuously slow strokes, answering, "You tell me lover. You're the one who seems to have a _firm grasp_ on the situation."

Even if she hadn't been a virgin, dick envy was something I'd never been afflicted with, nor was it warranted. I could feel Sookie's shock at her own actions, but her longing for me outweighed it and she did a terrible job of trying to look innocent through her glassy-eyed lustful gaze as she said, "Oh, I'd say it's…adequate."

"Adequate?" I asked in mock disbelief while thrusting into her hand. My eyes rolled back into my head of their own volition and I clamped down on the mattress underneath my hands knowing I was only seconds from tearing away the scraps of fabric covering her still virtuous body. I would let her explore my body in any way she wished, but I would not take her innocence from her.

_That was a gift to be treasured far greater than any jewels or riches and one I hoped to one day receive._

"Well…" she exhaled against my chest and increasing her tempo, only making my face dive right back down to chew my way across her neck, as I matched her speed with my thrusting hips. "Maybe it's more like a gracious plenty," she breathed against my shoulder.

_This woman would be the death of me. I was sure of it._

"Lover," I growled lowly into her ear. "Will you allow me to touch you? I want to make you feel as good as you're making me feel."

"Oh God yes…" she moaned.

I knew she wasn't ready to _gift me_ with her virtue tonight, but it was probably a good thing since she had me worked up enough I would likely fuck her through the mattress, however that also meant my virginal temptress had me close to cumming mere minutes into her debut handjob and I wanted her to cum with me.

I would no sooner bathe my balls in liquid silver nitrate than remove her hand from my cock, so I was left using only my hands as tools until my mouth could hopefully join in later on for round two. I rested my weight on one arm while trailing my hand of the other along the tops of her breasts through the fabric of the cotton tank top she was wearing. Her nipples stood firmly beneath it and as her body arched up into my palm, I seriously reconsidered my plans because my mouth was salivating over the thought of wrapping my lips around her firm young skin. Her own hand pumping up and down my shaft wouldn't allow me to move away from her grasp, so instead I slipped my hand underneath her shirt and took her lips with my own when she cried out _my name_ in approval as I alternately pinched and caressed her tender flesh.

Her hips writhed against me needing relief further down, so I moved on in my southward trek of her body and hissed again when I felt the wetness of her arousal that already pervaded the air around us.

"You're so wet for me lover," I crooned into her ear while slipping my fingers through the length of her slick folds. Soaked would be a more accurate term, but it would truly be a race to the finish line and I needed to get her there before me. Between what I could feel of her pleasure through our bond, intensifying my own, combined with the scent, sounds, and textures of her body I was quickly approaching sensory overload in a way I'd never before experienced.

Her hips bucked up into my hand and she cried out, "Eric!" as I worked her clit with my thumb and her own movements faltered, but my spontaneous growl and still thrusting hips got her back on track.

I bit through my lower lip trying to stave off my climax and nearly lost all control when Sookie leaned up to lick the blood away and pleaded against my lips, "More."

My lust addled brain didn't know if she meant she wanted more blood or more sex play, but I was willing to give her both and my head dropped back down to her neck as we both groaned out when I slid one of my fingers inside of her. She was so fucking tight, I knew I would need to take the time to prepare her body to accept mine, but just the thought of her slick wet heat pulsing around my cock had me growling again. I continued to work her clit while thrusting into her, slowly building up speed until our pace matched one another's and when I felt her teeth scrape against my neck, I entreated, "Bite."

_And she did._

My fangs slid into her neck at the same time and with the first pull of my blood into her mouth, I came in long thick streams in between our two bodies, roaring out my pleasure against her skin, but refusing to allow a single drop of her delectable blood go to waste. The smell of her tears reached me when she fell over the edge of bliss, but I knew they were thanks to the orgasm still rippling through her body. She too refused to let go of the wound she'd created and I rejected all thoughts of forcing her to now that I could feel her so much more. It was like she was inside of me; I would swear I could feel her heart beating inside of my chest and I preferred her there so I could always keep her safe.

It wasn't until Sookie's kitten showed its displeasure at being ignored by walking across both of our faces that we finally pulled away from one another, but at least it had waited for us to be done before making its annoyance known. When I was finally able to look down at her I thought she'd never looked more beautiful. There had never been anyone more beautiful to me than she and I'd expected her to feel or show some sort of embarrassment over what we'd just done, but all I could feel from her was her awe and overwhelming affection for me. She adored me.

_With the reciprocal feelings floating through me, I knew she would absolutely be the death of me._

I claimed her lips in a kiss not being able to stand awash under the rays of my own personal sun and not worship her back, but sadly I could feel the pull of another sun I hadn't seen in a thousand years and knew my reverence would have to wait until the next evening. I slowly pulled away from her and sped to the bathroom to clean myself up and returned with a warmed washcloth. She blushed seeing my now naked body since I'd ditched the soiled lounge pants and couldn't help smirking, "Lover, after all of the pleasure we just gave to one another and yet you still blush?" I could feel she was more amused than embarrassed, so I turned sideways, asking, "A gracious plenty, yes?"

I should have known better than to tease my little minx since it had become quite obvious Pam was her mentor in taunting me when she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, I can't be sure. I've got nothing else to compare it to, but I'll let you know if I find out differently."

It was only the insane amount of laughter I could feel filtering through me from her that kept me from ripping the room apart at the thought of Sookie with anyone else, but to her credit, her face betrayed nothing. I was impressed. And vengeful.

I tackled her back onto the bed and mercilessly tickled her sides until tears were streaming down her face and she was gasping for air. "Do you concede defeat?" I asked, playfully snapping my fangs down by her ear.

"I concede nothing!" she laughed out. "Tickling is not a fair fight with a vampire."

"Of course it is," I exclaimed. "It is not my fault vampire simply aren't ticklish, my lover."

She was still gasping for air as she smiled and said, "Yeah, well you might be faster than a speeding bullet too, but it wouldn't be fair for me to challenge to you a gunfight at high noon either."

"Touché lover."

Everything about her simply mesmerized me and I was admittedly overcome with lust once again when she stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing more than one of my t-shirts since her night clothes had become soiled as well, but nothing compared to having her body curled up against my own. Basking in her warmth was better than any raging inferno in the dead of winter and I didn't resist the urge to pull her on top of me, covering my body with her own like a lizard lounging underneath the summer sun and just as she drifted off to sleep, I heard her whisper, "Thank you."

_Thank me?_

I had no idea of what she could possibly be thanking me for, nor could I think of any reason I'd given her to, but I didn't care enough to wake her feeling just how tired she was.

The pull to die for the day was getting stronger when I heard my phone alert me I had a new message and if it weren't for the encumbrance of running two kingdoms, I would have ignored it. I died for the day with the phone still in my hand wishing I had ignored it, now knowing my lover would be having another difficult night ahead of her.

**Sookie's not as scary as barky fangy angry King Eric, so I wasn't afraid to end it there.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Yeah, so Sookie doesn't like being one upped by an angry King. Bitch is just as loud as him…**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just sending them back to Bon Temps.**

Chapter Ten

**SPOV**

I awoke the next day wondering if the night before had been nothing more than a wonderful dream until I realized what I was lying on hadn't come from any Serta mattress factory and I pushed myself up and giggled seeing kitty Sam fast asleep curled around the top of Eric's head. Knowing how much of a kick Pam would get out of seeing it and noticing Eric's phone still in his hand, I pulled it from his grasp to take a picture, but couldn't now seeing it, like Eric, was dead for the day, so I reached over and set it down onto the nightstand before looking back at him. I was overcome with all of the feelings swirling through me staring at the man I was quickly falling for. He was no doubt the most handsome man I'd ever seen, but his good looks weren't what drew me to him. If I were that shallow, I would've given myself to any number of the fairies I'd seen while in captivity and thanks to my curse, I knew a pretty package could have an ugly filling, but Eric was different. I was certain there was a side to him that would scare the bejeezus out of me; there would have to be for him to have survived for as long as he had, but the side he showed to only me made me feel like I was the only woman in the world and he'd unknowingly given me the proof of that the night before when I'd caught flashes of his thoughts.

He'd thought I was not just beautiful, but the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen and coming from someone who'd lived a span of time I couldn't possibly fathom, that was saying a lot. I was sure he'd seen and probably been with some of the most beautiful women in the world going back hundreds of years, but I knew straight from his mind it was _me_ he was the most awed by. He felt things for _me_ he'd never felt for anyone before and I'd been completely blown away. I'd spent a lifetime hearing the ridiculing thoughts from others, but I'd always forced myself to walk with my head held high despite them all. With Eric, I didn't have to force anything because he put me so high up on a pedestal, my head was in the clouds and all I could do was thank him for it; for seeing and wanting the real me and not just the blond with big boobs. I still couldn't comprehend what he could possibly find so special about me, but I wouldn't question it. I didn't have to. I could feel his own confusion over his feelings for me, but if he was willing to accept them, then I would too. It didn't matter that I was a high school educated former barmaid or that he was a thousand year old vampire King; together we were just Eric and Sookie and I was more than okay with that.

Thanks to Eric's dead cell phone, I had no idea what time it was, but my growling stomach informed me it was time to get up. I hadn't eaten much in the past couple of days thanks to everything going on, but I was famished now and reluctantly slid off of Eric's body, blushing again when I felt The Beast brushing against my hip, and made my way into the bathroom to get cleaned up. I couldn't help remembering the way Eric had made me feel the night before as the water beat down on my skin and the hunger I was now feeling had nothing to do with food. I knew I should probably have been embarrassed by the wicked thoughts running through my mind, especially considering the man was dead and there was nothing he could do about it, but that didn't stop me from flipping through fantasy after fantasy all centered on him. I may have been a virgin, but thanks to my disability I'd seen more porn than Larry Flynt himself and had several ideas of what I would like to do. But since my leading man was unavailable, I had no choice but to force them all away and just concentrated on finishing up in the shower before stepping out to dry myself off.

_And then I yelped in surprise when I was suddenly surrounded from behind by six and a half feet of horny vampire._

"Someone is feeling frisky," he purred into my ear.

Considering the part of him I could feel jabbing into my back along with his own hearty dose of lust, I giggled, "Careful now. Those glass shards are about to come down on top of you."

Even though we'd been very handsy with one another the night before and I'd slept on top of the man's naked body all day long, I still felt a little shy being naked in front of him, but not so much that I wanted to stop his hands from roaming all over my body.

_After all, he had really nice hands._

_And an even better butt._

My hands reached around behind me to grab two handfuls of that award winning behind making him growl appreciatively, but before I could get too worked up, he pulled back and said, "I have news."

If he was about to tell me he wanted me, that really wasn't worthy of CNN's tickertape, but when I turned to face him and saw the look of concern in his eyes, I didn't like it and asked, "What is it?"

"It's about your brother Jason," he said softly, only making me more concerned. I didn't have the time to brace myself when he added, "He is in prison for murdering your grandmother and then setting fire to your home."

The next thing I remembered was coming to, surrounded by Eric's arms and from the feel of it we were lying on his bed, but the tears were still streaming from my eyes as I croaked out, "He couldn't have. He _wouldn't_ have." All I wanted to do was run out of there and find my brother. I wanted to throw my arms around him and never let him go. I wanted to tell him I knew he could never hurt Gran and, God help me, I wanted to kill whoever did. Thanksgiving was just around the corner and then Christmas. Jason couldn't spend Christmas in prison, but realizing he'd probably already spent one holiday locked up, since I'd been gone for so long, only made me sob harder and hate Niall even more for taking me. If only I'd been there I could have helped him, but I knew there was nothing I could do for him now all by myself. I needed more information and I needed help.

Eric let me cry all over him while trying to comfort me and when I finally got control of myself again, he softly whispered, "I am sorry my lover," and weirdly licked away my tears, but I didn't care. It oddly made me feel better.

"How?" I asked, quickly followed by, "Why?"

He sighed against me before slowly sitting up and saying, "I only received a short text last night and don't have all of the details yet, but I should have a full report soon." I watched him look around before seeing his phone on the nightstand and then cursing when he discovered it was dead, so he grabbed the charger and plugged it in before turning it on only for his face to look completely flabbergasted.

"What?" I asked sitting up and not even caring that I was still naked or that he was too for that matter. Modesty was the least of my concerns right now. "What's wrong?"

Eric just stared down at his phone and I could feel his shock running through him as he said, "The time."

"What about it?" I asked unsure. "Should you have already gotten the report or something?" His only response was to stare back at me dumbfounded and then he turned the phone so I could see the display. It read 3:00 pm. The time of day had ceased to mean anything to me once I was kidnapped by Niall, so I hadn't given it much thought lately, but I knew vamps didn't rise until sundown and asked, "Is that normal? For you to be up so early because you're older?"

He shook his head no and answered, "With my age, I could be roused during the day if I was in mortal danger, but I would be very lethargic and it would only last until the danger had passed. This is… _unusual_."

When his eyes darted to me, looking like it was my fault, I asked, "Why are you looking at me like I did something?" Even though it made no sense to me whatsoever, I felt horrified and asked, "Did you feel like I was going to hurt you? Is that why you woke up?"

"No!" he answered quickly and pulled me into his lap, adding, "But many strange things have happened to me since your arrival, so I have to question if my ability to rise earlier stems from the fact we exchanged blood again last night."

I remembered him saying after three exchanges it would become permanent, but I had no idea what happened after I passed out when I'd been shot and asked, "Did you give me more of your blood after getting the bullet out of me?" If he had and then licked my wound closed, last night would have been our third exchange and while I knew I _really_ liked Eric, it was too soon for me to know I would want to be tied to him permanently and I didn't like the idea of it being done without my consent.

It could also explain why I'd heard his thoughts the night before and no matter how sweet they were, I could feel my hostility rising up when he answered, "No. As soon as the bullet was removed from your body it healed on its own within minutes since you'd just had my blood earlier in the evening. There was no need for you to have any more of it and Pam cleaned you up before dressing you." The relief that flooded through me was short lived when he said, "I could feel your anger a moment ago and your relief now. You know after three exchanges our bond would become permanent. You do not wish to be tied to me forever?"

Even as he asked the question I could feel his own uncertainty over it all and asked, "Do _you_ wish to be tied to _me_ forever?" It felt weird having this conversation now, considering we were both naked as the day we were born and what we were discussing was similar to a human marriage proposal, so I explained, "I like you. A lot and I've never felt anything close to the way I feel about you, but don't you think it's too soon to be having this conversation? It's like us running off to get married when we only really agreed to start exploring our relationship _last night_."

So much had happened in that one night, it too felt like it was forever ago, but the fact remained it only happened less than twenty-four hours earlier. I could feel Eric's acceptance of my explanation, but a small twinge of insecurity broke through as he asked, "But it is something you would consider in the future?"

I truly did feel more for Eric than anyone else in my life and having a permanent blood bond with him in the vampire world, to me, paralleled a human marriage in mine. What we had together now could be built into something that would make me want to marry him, so I answered honestly, "Yes, in time. I was just upset over the thought it had already been done without my consent." I smiled softly and added, "It would be like you marrying me without me knowing about it."

I could feel his deceit as he opened his mouth saying, "I…" but it turned into back into honesty as he finished with, "would do whatever I felt necessary in order to protect you and while I may not tell you everything, what I do tell you will always be the truth."

Considering what I could feel, I knew that just as well as he did, so I only said, "Yeah, well…if you try and marry me without even asking me first, don't expect much of a honeymoon." With that out of the way my thoughts went right back to Jason and I started rambling in my nervousness, "Is there anything you can do to help my brother? I know he couldn't have murdered Gran. It has to be some horrible mistake and he probably couldn't get a decent lawyer. Can you take me to go see him?"

There was no house left for me to mortgage in order to pay his attorney's fees, but I _did_ have some money saved up before I was kidnapped and if somehow my bank account hadn't been closed by now, I'd gladly use all of it to help him. Eric looked back at me tenderly and nodded, "I will hire an attorney on his behalf once we get the details of his conviction and I will find a way for you to go and see him in the meantime."

"Thank you Eric," I whispered into his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him again. I really was lucky he was so willing to do so much for me when I felt like nothing more than a burden to him. I knew he didn't feel that way about me, but I couldn't help it after spending a lifetime of just getting by and having to work for everything thing I had. I honestly didn't like not being able to provide for myself now, but I understood why working wouldn't be an option just yet. I could never repay him for even the material things he'd given me after seeing the price tags on everything Pam had supplied, but it was the emotional support he gave to me that I valued the most.

When I finally pulled back he said, "The lawyer I normally used went missing in the bombing at Rhodes and I assume perished. As a half-demon, Desmond Cataliades was retained by many in the Supernatural community, but I am already in negotiations with his brother-in-law, Simon Maimonides. However, since he is a demon as well, we do not know if he can be trusted with you because of Niall's warning, so I will have to seek out someone else to handle your brother's case."

_Half-demon?_

"Eric," I blurted out remembering the night of his coronation, "On the night of your coronation, one of the people that came up to speak to you was some sort of demon, right? I mean, I think I could tell because his thoughts were hard to read and were surrounded by shadows. I've never come across anything like it before."

He ran his hand up and down my arm soothingly, saying, "Your gift is truly fascinating, lover. But you were never in any danger if that is what you're concerned with."

"No," I shook my head. "It was his thoughts. I only got bits and pieces, but I heard him think, 'She lives. I must inform the Prince.' You don't think he meant Niall do you? He wouldn't be shocked I was alive unless he thought you were going to eat me and that's why he left me with you."

The seriousness dropped from Eric's expression and he purred, "Lover, you must choose your words wisely when you speak to me without any clothes on because now all I can think about is _eating_ you."

I tried to be irritated with him. I really did considering all of the heavy topics we'd been discussing, but his words and leer shot straight through me and now I was hungry too.

_And not for a burger._

"Oh you!" I huffed out, but his chuckle told me he knew I was faking my anger and I got up and threw his t-shirt back on before turning back to him and saying, "Now, demon Prince? Any thoughts on that?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment before saying, "I do not know much about their hierarchy or realm as I never saw a need before. I do know pissing one off isn't in anyone's best interest however they appear to keep to themselves if they're not working in some capacity within this world. I find it odd Niall believes your grandfather to have been murdered by one considering the close ties the Brigants had to Cataliades."

"They were close?" I asked. It shocked me since Niall seemed so sure demons + Sookie = bad.

Eric shrugged his shoulders, answering, "I recall once, a very long time ago, Cataliades speaking kindly of your kin. He wouldn't have bothered if he hadn't meant it."

Eric had been around for so long, it didn't surprise me he knew of so many Supernatural beings and in the short time I'd been there I'd learned they sure did love their gossip. Pam and Mrs. Fortenberry would be thick as thieves.

"So, you're not worried about what I heard?" I asked.

He reached out and pulled me back to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and saying, "I don't seem to be able to not worry about you, so yes, I am concerned. I'll look into it and see what I can find out." Looking deep into my eyes, he added, "But know this, _no one_ will harm you," and then he ran his hand across my back where the bullet had been lodged, finishing with a low growl, "again."

He and I would just have to agree to disagree on that one (and I'd learned the only way to do that with Eric was to say nothing at all) because I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant he would be safe. His hands began running over my body and before I could question his intent, he stood up and zipped into and back out of his closet now dressed in a pair of track pants (vamp speed sure could be handy) and held his hand out to me, saying, "Come. You must eat so you don't lose any of those luscious curves I have yet to fully explore and I'll see what I can find on my own about your brother's situation from the internet while we wait for the report."

Eric didn't have a full kitchen in his chambers, so I fixed myself a quick sandwich and settled down on the couch next to him so I could watch him on his laptop while I ate, only instead of searching for information on my brother he went through his emails first. I knew he was the one doing me the favor and tried not to get irritated, so I ate my sandwich in silently gradually increasing irritation, which I knew he could feel. It wasn't until I swallowed the last bite that he finally typed Jason's name into the search engine and turned to me, saying softly, "I didn't want you to lose your appetite reading whatever it is we find. You have to remain healthy if you are to help your brother."

That certainly took the wind out of my sails and I felt the shame wash over me as I leaned over and kissed him softly, saying, "You're right. I'm sorry." I seriously didn't deserve someone like him, but every thought fell out of my head when Jason's picture, a mug shot, came onto the screen. It only got worse when I read the accompanying headline.

_Man suspected in strangulation murders found guilty of murder/arson in death of grandmother._

Eric reached out and pulled me into his lap, before setting the laptop on my own and clicking on the link, but the more I read, the less I could see through the tears streaming down my face. Jason had been the prime suspect in the strangulation murders of Maudette Pickens and Dawn Green, but they didn't have enough to charge him for their deaths. They also implied he may have had something to do with my own disappearance, but he was seen, by Mrs. Fortenberry of all people, calmly walking away from the burning farmhouse and into the woods. When the sheriff found him at home later on he claimed he'd been there the whole time, but he'd been convicted anyway on her eyewitness testimony and they even speculated that Gran had been trying to get him to turn himself in for the murders. Gran's body had been found inside and the coroner said she'd been strangled to death before the fire. The only good news, if it could be called that, was he'd been sentenced to life without parole at Angola, The Louisiana State Penitentiary, and wasn't given a death sentence because the jurors felt "he'd been traumatized by the disappearance of his sister" on top of the deaths of our parents when we were kids.

I was completely numb until Eric put the laptop down and turned me around, but as soon as his arms wrapped around me, I lost it. I cried for Gran. I cried for Jason. There may have even been a few tears in there for Maudette and Dawn, but mostly I cried for what had become of my family's lives all because I wasn't there to help them. I don't know what I could have done, but I knew in my heart Jason wouldn't kill anybody, so surely I could've done something to stop the horror his life had turned into.

I was still sobbing uncontrollably when I choked out, "Can…I…see him? You're…you're the…King. Can you…will they…let us see him?"

"Of course, lover," he whispered into my hair. "I'll have to make a few calls and it will take some time, but I will take you to see him." I continued to cry against him until I finally ran out of tears and when I pulled back to look up at him, he said, "We will need to come up with a plausible excuse as to where you've been for so long, but how well do you trust the shifter?"

I didn't feel any jealousy coming from him, but I'm sure he felt my confusion when I answered, "I'd trust Sam with my life. Why?"

Eric stood us up and I hadn't noticed how much time had passed until Pam walked into the room a second later, asking, "Why is she leaking? What did you do now?"

He ignored her questions and I was just stunned they were actually speaking English, so I didn't interrupt when he said, "Tell Reuben I want that report _yesterday_ and clear my schedule for this evening. Sookie and I are going to the dog's bar."

Eric filled Pam in while I washed my face and changed into something warmer. I was still too numb to even be excited about seeing Sam again, but when I came back into the room Pam was already gone and Eric surprised me by leading me back into his bedroom.

"What are we doing in here?" I asked. "I thought we were leaving for Bon Temps."

He just smiled back at me and sealed the door behind us before he took me into his closet. The man had more clothes than a department store, but before I could ask any more questions he opened a hidden panel revealing yet another pin pad and scanning devices, making me wonder if he was really that concerned with his security or had a boy crush on James Bond. I didn't have time to ask him though because a moment later he picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist, with my arms automatically wrapping around his neck, as the ceiling opened up exposing some sort of tunnel above our heads and the next thing I knew I was trying to swallow my scream as we shot out into the night sky.

"Relax lover," he chuckled as I trembled against him. "I have you."

"You could warn a girl, you know," I mumbled against his neck.

I'd been too upset to even think about the fact we'd been flying when Eric had brought me back to the palace after finding me in the cemetery and even now I was still a little in shock over everything Jason had gone through, but being wrapped up in Eric's arms comforted me enough I eventually was able to take a look around. He was going too fast for me to really see all that much, so I turned my face back into his body and asked, "Can all vamps fly?"

"Can all humans sing?" he countered.

Knowing I had to turn the volume way up to drown out the sound of my own voice, I answered, "Not _well_, but they _can_."

I managed to giggle picturing Pam and some of the other vamps flailing around in the sky like a flock of drunk geese when he finally said, "No. Some vampire rise with a gift; some do not. Mine was the ability to fly."

"Does Pam have a gift?" I asked hoping it wasn't too personal of a question.

"Does the gift of gab count?" he chuckled and making me even more relaxed, but I tensed up again as I felt our speed slow and when we began to hover, I looked down seeing we were above Merlotte's. Eric brought us down behind Sam's trailer and kept one arm around my shivering body as he took his phone out, barking into the receiver, "Shifter, this is Eric Northman. I need to speak with you. Come outside. I am waiting next to your…_home_," he ended, not hiding his disgust.

I was so nervous I didn't even have it in me to reprimand him for his less than gracious tone, but I completely froze a moment later hearing a gasped, "Sookie?"

My face had still been pressed against Eric's chest, so I turned around and the minute Sam saw me he ran forward and scooped me into his arms, saying, "Oh Cher, we were all so worried about you. Where have you been?"

Eric and I hadn't discussed what we'd be telling anyone, but I didn't have the time to answer him anyway when I heard Sam take a deep breath and his arms let go of me as he took a step back, accusing, "You've had his _blood_?" It seemed I wasn't the only one being taken to task because he turned and glared at Eric, growling, "_You've_ had her this whole time?"

I could feel Eric had already been seething watching Sam hug me, but now he felt furious, so before he could do anything I would regret, even if _he_ wouldn't, I stepped in between them and said, "No, I haven't been with Eric this whole time."

My imploring eyes turned to Eric not knowing what I should reveal and whatever he felt or saw from me had his shoulders relaxing before he looked at Sam and explained, "She was taken by others and recently left with me for her own protection, but _Sookie is now mine_."

Sam didn't appear to like that one bit, but I wasn't about to explain the ins and outs of my relationship with Eric, so I just said, "I only just found out about what happened to Jason and Gran." My voice faltered for a minute but I swallowed the urge to cry again and asked, "What happened? Why do they think Jason would've killed Maudette or Dawn? Or _Gran_ for God's sake?"

Sam's eyes softened seeing me fighting back the tears and looked around before motioning towards his trailer, saying, "Come on. We shouldn't be standing out here where somebody could see us."

I followed him to his front door, but before I could step inside Eric was suddenly in front of me blocking my way, saying, "She will not enter without me." Sam balked but Eric must have felt my confusion because he added, "I cannot enter his home without an invitation."

When it seemed we were at an impasse, I looked at Sam, saying, "I'm sorry Sam, but Eric's right. I won't go anywhere he can't go." I didn't think Sam would ever do anything to me, but I could already read from his thoughts that he wanted to get me away from Eric because he thought he was holding me against my will, so I added, "I'm with him because I want to be Sam." And because what was good for the goose was good for the gander, I tacked on, "He is _mine_."

_How do you like THEM apples Mr. Possessive?_

From what I could feel of Eric's emotions, he seemed to like apples very much, but Sam got my attention again, arguing, "Sookie, he could've glamoured you into believing that! Cher, you don't know how the Supernatural world works. Vampires claim humans, not the other way around."

Granted, Sam had no idea of just how much I now knew about the Supernatural world, but I was annoyed he, of all people, was treating me like a dumb blond barmaid with big boobs, and narrowed my eyes back at him, saying, "Gee Sam. Maybe if _you_ had trusted me enough to tell me _your_ furry little secret, I would've gotten a head start on my crash course in Supes 101, but _you_ don't know everything about _me_. I _can't_ be glamoured and if I could be, why would Eric even bother humoring me by bringing us here when he could've just kept me at the palace and snacked on me? I know you're just concerned about me, but whatever Eric and I are to one another is really none of your business. _I_ trust him and as my friend, that should be enough for you."

Pride exploded through my bond with Eric and Sam finally relented, sighing out, "Come in Eric." Once we were all seated, he said, "On the morning you went missing, Maudette Pickens was found strangled to death. Jason was a suspect because he was the last one seen with her and I guess they'd videotaped their _date_, but Bud didn't have enough evidence to charge him. I found Dawn's body in her bed a few days later when she didn't show up for work. The neighbor said she heard her and Jason fighting the night before, but again, Bud didn't have enough evidence. Jason had been coming into the bar damn near every night tying one on and asking everybody he came across if they'd seen you, but the night before Adele was killed he was in here spouting off about some vampire. He said he'd just come from Adele's house and saw a guy leaving there and walking across the field, but when he asked your Gran about who he was, she didn't know what he was talking about. Jason went looking for him and saw the lights on in the old Compton house where he said he saw the same guy, a vampire, inside feeding off some woman, so he came here and started spouting off to everyone that it must have been the vamp that took you. He'd seen old bite marks on both Maudette and Dawn, so he thought the vamp must have killed them too. The more he drank, the angrier he got, until I finally cut him off and had Hoyt drive him home. Of course Maxine heard all about it and when Adele didn't answer her phone the next day, she went over there and swears she saw Jason walking away from the burning house. Jason swears he was sleeping off his hangover at home, but they convicted him anyway. I'm so sorry Cher."

I'd been concentrating so much on Sam's story that I hadn't noticed Eric was on his phone until I jumped as he yelled into it, "FIND HIM!" He shoved it back into his pocket and looked at me, saying, "Bill Compton left the palace last night. Because he wasn't a prisoner, there was no reason for anyone to stop him and now his whereabouts are unknown."

**Fanfic is all kinds of fail again with alerts and whatnot, but make sure your PM's are enabled if you'd like a review reply. ****If you left one for the last chapter, your reply should be sitting in your FFN account inbox. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: So, any of you that have read my all human stories know that I love me some Jason Stackhouse, if only for the humor and adorableness factor (and Ryan Kwanten with his Aussie accent isn't so bad either), but this one? Well…**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just gonna smack Jason around later on.**

Chapter Eleven

**EPOV**

_Fucking Compton!_

I knew he'd been up to something and if my head wasn't constantly clouded by all things Sookie, I would've thought to have him guarded, but now he was fucking gone with the wind, which would've made me laugh had I not been so fucking pissed, thanks to those ridiculous sideburns he wore.

Seeing Sookie staring back at me and feeling the confidence within her she had for me only made me feel like even more of a failure, but that didn't last when her shock came through and she turned to the dog, asking, "What do you mean you should have left Eric at the farmhouse when you found him?"

_Fucking telepaths._

Since he hadn't said anything out loud I assumed she'd read his thoughts and he looked back at her guiltily before her eyes turned back to me, asking, "You'd been to my house before?"

I sighed, fucking again, answering, "Yes lover, however now is not the time to discuss it." I still had no idea how I ended up there and considering all of the fucking things I'd been _feeling_ as of late, I questioned just how truly random my path had been.

_Even cursed and with no prior knowledge of her, I fucking clawed my way straight to where she should have been._

With my failure in securing Compton as the threat I now knew him to be, as well as feeling the uncertainty over what Sookie's importance was to me even when cursed, I felt caged. I was already pacing but it wasn't enough. I wanted to rip something to shreds, but I knew Sookie wouldn't appreciate me tearing apart the dog, so I only looked at him and ordered, "You will tell no one you have seen Sookie or where she is. Do you understand?"

Until I could come up with a reasonable story for where she'd been all this time, the last fucking thing I needed was the human authorities to come looking for her because she would definitely be with _me_ and I wasn't so difficult to find these days. I'd been popular enough just being known as the owner of Fangtasia, but it had exploded following Sophie-Anne's death and I had become New Orleans' newest star attraction. The meager crowds of tourists she used to draw as Queen were a pittance compared to the droves of men and women alike who now camped out across from the palace. Sookie had yet to see any of it and it was one of the reasons I'd taken her out of the palace through the escape hatch. I disliked being King enough, so the constant presence of the clumps of vermin, with their foul smelling stench wafting through the air, only added to my misery. Pam, of course, had a field day at my expense and had even given me a pair of sunglasses telling me I should wear them whenever I left the palace since that's what all the rock stars wore.

_That very same night she went into her room just before sunrise to discover the torn sleeves from her favorite Chanel suits laid out on her bed in the form of the letters 'F' and 'U'._

The memory of her mortification alone was enough to calm me some until the dog shot up off of the couch, shouting, "You can't just keep her! She's got a life and a…a…"

He seemed to lose his train of thought, but Sookie stood up too, asking sadly, "I've got a what Sam? My home is gone. Gran is gone. Jason is in prison. My life is _all_ I have. What else have I got, exactly?"

_Me!_

If I didn't already know better, I would've thought Sookie had read _my_ thoughts because she smiled up at me and wrapped her arm around my waist, saying, "What I've got now is Eric looking out for me, but there seem to be some very bad…_people_ after me and he's keeping me safe. So, please, don't tell anyone just yet that I was here or that you've seen me, okay? I always thought of you as one of my closest friends Sam. I hope I can still count on our friendship now that it matters the most."

"You'd always be welcome to stay here. I'd protect you," he mumbled, not looking at her while she rubbed her hand up and down my back, hearing the low growl building in my chest over the thought of _my Sookie_ living with the dog. The pity she felt for him annoyed me, but it was better than the _fondness_ of the night before and he seemed to finally relent when he said, "Of course you can count on me Cher." His eyes glared at me as he took a step forward and soiled her with his scent by hugging her _again_, adding, "I just hope you know what you're doing by staying with him."

"I do Sam," she said softly before she finally pulled away.

I returned his glare, saying, "You will contact me if you see or hear anything concerning Sookie." Sookie's irritation flared again, so I added less harshly, "I will be in your debt." _Again_, I added silently.

Once we were back outside, I took Sookie into my arms once more, lifting us up into the sky and couldn't help remarking with annoyance, "You smell like _dog_ now."

I loved her scent and he ruined it, but Sookie snapped back just as annoyed, "You don't _have_ to breathe. Get over it!"

_Argh! This woman!_

The way she was able to crawl under my skin so easily, both good and bad, still shocked me. Any other human wouldn't have lived if they spoke to me as she had, but then I wouldn't have bothered with any other human as I had with her and in my wandering thoughts (all things Sookie, my new fucking normal) we somehow managed to end up hovering above the cemetery next to her former home.

_Even with her in my arms, all paths led me to her._

Sookie of course noticed where we were too and she asked, "Will you tell me about the night Sam found you here?"

I could see how her telepathy could be viewed as a curse because it wasn't something I liked to think about, much less talk about, but I could understand her curiosity given I'd ended up there of all places when I didn't even know who I was, so I set us down next to the cemetery and explained, "I was at Fangtasia on this past New Year's Eve. The leader of a coven of witches was trying to extort money from me and on that night she'd sent a messenger offering to cut her demand in the percentage she wanted of the bar's profits if I would agree to…_entertain_ her for seven nights."

Sookie's emotions had been steady up until then when a jolt of pure fury ran through her. I'd never felt anything from her even close to the rage now flowing through her veins, so I smiled down at her, soothing, "I refused. Longshadow, the impetuous fuck that he was, killed her, but unknown to us, she'd been bewitched. My memories end there and do not resume again until Pam was able to destroy the coven and recover the leader's spellbook. She got away, but another witch was able to reverse the spell I was under. From what I'm told, I had no memories of my life at all during that timeframe and I still remember nothing of the few short days I was cursed. I had disappeared from the office and was found here, wandering around what is left of your home, by the dog. I didn't even know my name, but he knew who I was and contacted Pam who then kept me safe until my memories were restored."

Empathy flowed through her as she said, "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you, a thousand years' worth of memories gone and then to get them back only to lose that brief time as well." Considering all she'd been through, not only losing a year and a half of her life, but her family as well, I was surprised she'd even consider my struggles. "But why would you come _here_?" she asked.

_Because no matter what direction I set out on, it always seems to lead me back to you._

Trying to maintain some semblance of once having grown a set of balls in my long lifetime, I forced myself to smirk at her and said, "I don't remember."

I could feel her getting nervous again, but before I could question why, the wind shifted and I growled smelling a familiar scent.

_Compton._

If he'd last been there a year and a half ago, his scent would've been long gone by now, so I snatched Sookie back into my arms and sped us closer to the hovel he once called home. She could sense my tension and whispered, "What is it?"

"I smell Compton," I snarled while whipping out my cell phone and calling Rasul to have him send the tracker Heidi. He was closest as he was still running Area 5 for now and would've already been notified to be on the lookout for Compton. Heidi had been a spy planted by Nevada however I earned her loyalty while I was still Sheriff when I had her drug addicted son relocated from Reno to Shreveport so she could keep an eye on him. The fact Victor sent her at all knowing she had a living son she was still watching out for proved how worthless he truly was and hopefully it was recklessness like that, that would lead to his downfall.

"Eric?" Sookie asked a little louder than a whisper as soon as I ended the call. When I looked down at her she pointed at her head and added, "I can't sense any other vampires around."

He'd definitely been there very recently, of that I was sure, but her gift was truly remarkable so I calmed down and said, "Very well lover. We will wait here for the tracker to arrive so we don't contaminate any other scents she might be able to pick up from inside the house."

"Eric?" she repeated again. When I looked back at her, she bit her bottom lip nervously and blurted out, "I can hear you sometimes."

It took a moment for me to realize she meant hearing my thoughts and panic set in knowing if any other vampire knew she could read their minds, everyone would be out to kill her. I'd have to take her and flee; hide her where no one else would find us. Fuck the kingdoms and the Pythoness' warnings about the world ending if I wasn't the King. _My world_ would fucking end without Sookie in it.

My mind was busy making exit strategies as my rage simmered over the thought of anyone trying to harm her, but the scent of Sookie's tears brought me out of it and when I looked down at her, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked. I didn't give a shit about being King and there were many uninhabited islands in the south pacific where we could hide. Alone...

_My lover with tan lines…or better yet, no tan lines._

"You're mad that I can hear you sometimes," she sniffled and then added, "and oddly aroused, which reminds me…I can _feel_ you, what _you're_ feeling, all of the time, but only if you're nearby."

_What?_

Surprise fucking surprise…Sookie _surprised_ me again by being able to feel me at all, but I didn't care about that and latched onto the one word of her admission I'd missed in my panic.

_Sometimes._

I flooded my mind with every sinful thing I wanted to, and eventually would, do to her knowing she'd be the color of my Corvette if she heard it, but I only felt her remorse and uncertainty, which she voiced, saying, "I understand if it's a deal breaker…you know…about there being any sort of _us_."

_Argh! This woman!_

I snatched my dog scented lover back into my arms and, knowing Heidi would be arriving momentarily, I whispered into her ear, "Lover, I am not mad at you. I'm worried others will try and kill you if they think you can read their thoughts. Am I the only one?" When she nodded against my chest, I said, "Then all will be well, but no one must know."

Sookie nodded again and I felt the relief running through her however Heidi arrived a moment later. Luckily, she'd met Compton previously and could pick out his scent easily, so after she'd been given her orders, I took Sookie and we were once again in the sky. I thought again about the fact Sookie could sometimes hear my thoughts and stunned myself yet again recognizing that while I knew she would be killed instantly by any other vampire whose thoughts she could hear, I hadn't included myself as one of them. I shuddered to think what my reaction might have been had she told me her secret before she became…before she was my…before she was _mine_ and hoped the tiger hadn't featured in anything she heard, so I asked, "What have you heard from me?"

Strangely, Sookie was flooded with the adoration I'd felt from her the night before with a hint of insecurity as she answered, "You thought I was beautiful."

"You are," I said in amazement.

_How could she not know?_

"And earlier," she continued on, "At Sam's, when I asked him what else did I have, you thought, 'me'."

Sookie's body was already plastered to mine, but she seemed to melt into me even more after her confessions.

_Perhaps her reading my thoughts SOMETIMES wouldn't be so bad._

"Thank you Eric, for everything you've done for me and for helping my brother," she whispered against my neck and leaving behind a soft kiss. Dog scented or not, she still drove me wild with desire, but I could also feel her underlying concern over her brother. By then we were at the halfway point between Bon Temps and New Orleans, so I headed east and soon we were descending at the gates of Angola.

"Eric?" she questioned, now seeing where we were.

It was well after visiting hours, even vampire ones, but what good was being the fucking King if I couldn't throw my weight around once in a while. After the Great Revelation, Angola renovated a portion of their facilities to be able to accommodate vampire convicted of human crimes, so they wisely employed vampire corrections officers as well. I recognized the two at the gate shack and upon seeing us they immediately came out and bowed down in front of us, saying, "Your Majesty. What can we do for you this evening?"

"There is a human prisoner here by the name of Jason Stackhouse. I would like him brought into a private room so that we may speak with him." I knew what I was asking went against every policy they had in place at the prison, but I didn't want to deal with the red tape nightmare it would be to go about it the right way.

They only eyed us for a second before bowing again, answering, "Of course, your Majesty. If you would please just follow us, we will bring him to you shortly."

I could feel Sookie's surprise and gratitude, but she remained silent until we were left alone in what appeared to be a breakroom of sorts, when she turned and hugged me again, saying, "Thank you so much Eric. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Actually, I do," I reminded her. I could feel every elated emotion running through her and I was glad I could at least make part of her hellish evening happy, so I didn't mind her making me happy in return by pulling me down for a kiss.

Feeling her lips on mine once more, I knew I was well and truly screwed because there was nothing I wouldn't do so that she would always feel that way about me. Her affection for me was only growing in size which was good given that my need to feel it from her was expanding just as quickly and even though I could hear the approaching footsteps, I couldn't bear to pull away from her until I absolutely had to, so we were both surprised when the door was opened with an angry, "Let go a me _fanger_!"

Sookie gasped as we both turned to see her brother glaring back at the guard who'd escorted him, who only acknowledged me, saying, "This area will remain clear until you no longer have need of it your Majesty. All surveillance systems in and around this building are currently malfunctioning and will continue to do so until your departure. I will patrol the perimeter of the building and come when you call."

He left immediately after and Sookie's body was completely frozen until her brother finally looked at us, with disbelief coloring his face upon seeing her, as he asked, "Sookie?"

I could smell her tears before they had a chance to fall as she streaked to him in a blur and threw her arms around him, saying, "Oh Jason! I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you. I know you could never hurt Gran or anyone else and Eric is going to help try and clear your name."

His eyes landed on me upon hearing my name and his relief at seeing his sister after all of this time turned into cold hatred as he pulled away and turned his glare on her, yelling, "This whole fuckin' time you been with a fuckin' fanger?"

The guard hadn't bothered to put restraints on him as there would be no way Jason could overpower a vampire, but I blamed myself for not thinking he could be a threat to Sookie which was why he'd been able to backhand her across her face before I had him by the throat up against the wall. Had he not been her brother he would have already been dead, but even still feeling the pain radiating across her cheek (I knew because _I _could fucking feel it), she was still pulling at my arm, begging, "Please Eric. Please don't hurt him."

If I didn't know my having any part in his death would truly destroy her, I would've ripped his throat out, so instead I snarled inches away from his face, "Lay a hand on your sister again and I'll rip it off."

_He could still live without his hand. Both his hands, even._

I let him drop to the floor and led Sookie to the other side of the table where she would be out of his reach, but he'd still be within mine, while he let out an eloquent, "Fuck you!"

"Jason," Sookie pleaded with tears running down her face. "Why are you acting this way? I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you or Gran, but I'm here now. I want to help you."

He threw himself down in a chair across from us barking out, "What the fuck you gonna do Sook? I'm already convicted! I've already been serving _year one_ of _the rest a my fuckin' life_ of hard labor, all thanks to fuckin' _fangers_ like _that one_!"

He was in danger of losing the finger he was pointing my way, but Sookie ignored his tirade and asked, "What are you talking about? Sam told us you thought maybe I'd been taken by a vampire, but why do you think one was responsible for Gran's death? It happened in the daytime, didn't it?"

"Fuck that noise," he waved angrily back at her. "It was that fuckin' vamp I saw leavin' Gran's house. He must a heard about me tellin' e'eryone at Merlotte's that he's the one that probably killed Maudette and Dawn, since they had fuckin' fang marks on 'em and then got somebody else to do it durin' the day so he wouldn't be looked at. Hell, they glamour e'erybody! He probably glamoured Maxine to do it and then to think she saw me!"

Undeterred by his angry rant, Sookie tried to reach across the table to take the hand I would be mounting in my office, but he snatched it away from her even as she beseeched, "Why are you acting like this? You were never so hateful before. Gran didn't raise us to be that way."

He cut her off, saying, "I learned my lesson. Reverend Steve Newlin knows what he's talkin' about."

I could feel Sookie's confusion and offered, "The Fellowship of the Sun. They're a vampire hate group disguised as a church."

Sookie's outrage came out with a shouted, "Jason! What would Gran think if she knew you'd joined something like that?"

"Sookie!" he mocked back angrily. "What would Gran think if she knew you was fuckin' a dead guy?"

A different kind of pain radiated through her, a stabbing ache in her chest, and I nearly came out of my seat when she placed her hand on my leg and despondently declared, "I'm your sister Jason. You're all the family I have left and I love you. I know you've had some tough times, but I want to help you."

He scoffed back at her and stood up, yelling, "Guard! We're through here!" The door opened a moment later and as he walked through it, he turned and looked at her, saying, "_God _has taken up my cause through Reverend Newlin and _they_ will help to set me free so I can continue to serve Him. The church is my new family because_ my family_ is dead and gone. You? You ain't my sister. You're just some fuckin' fangbanger."

Hearing Sookie's sob and seeing my barely contained rage, the guard turned to face the insolent little fuck and caught his gaze, saying, "You will shut. Your. Mouth." Once Jason was glamoured into silence, the guard turned to me and said, "I apologize, your Majesty. I didn't know the purpose of your visit and assumed you were aware he is the leader of the FoTS here at the prison."

Sookie only sobbed louder hearing her brother's latest endeavors, so I gathered her in my arms and ignored the look of surprise on the guard's face seeing my compassion for her, as I ordered, "Erase his memories of our entire visit and report to me on his dealings daily. Every visitor; every letter; every phone call; every whisper in between cell bars, I want to know about it all."

"Yes your Majesty," he called out as I sped through the building and took back to the sky with Sookie in my arms, regretting I'd ever brought her there without waiting for Reuben's report. The anguish she felt was physically hurting her and all I could do was hold her tighter and whisper how sorry I was into her ear as I tried to get us as far away from her imbecile brother as fast as I could. It wasn't until we were nearly at the palace that I felt the numbness wash over her, but I didn't like that either. Sookie was always so full of life; I'd been gorging myself on her feisty attitude and jovial spirit for weeks, even when I'd still been denying she meant something to me.

But now…

Now the flame I could always feel burning so brightly inside of her; the fire that made her defy her captors and shove her princess title up their fairy asses, was barely flickering.

_My own personal sun was burning out._

When we arrived at the palace, instead of taking her inside I landed on the roof and carried her to a spot I'd discovered on my first night as King. It was on the northern corner of the building cordoned off by barricades on all sides with a large turret on the farthest corner and meant to be a battlement if the palace was to come under attack, but the guards that routinely patrolled the rooftop had seen me up there enough over the last few weeks to know to give me a wide berth and scattered as soon as our presence was known. I took her inside of it and sat us on the ground with her in my lap and just waited. This one spot had become my own private sanctuary ever since the nightmare of becoming King had been made into a reality and I often used it to think.

When I could no longer stand the silence, I began, "I come here often. This spot reminds me of an area I used to goto to prepare myself mentally before every battle I'd waged as a human."

I let my statement hang there in the air between us and when I felt the tendrils of curiosity reaching through the numbness inside of her, my eyes closed and an unbidden smile came on my face, so I continued with, "From here, everything else is blocked from view so that it is only me and the stars; the same stars I used to guide my way to foreign lands and back home again while I was at sea. Even after a thousand years of seeing them, I still marvel over their brilliance lighting up the sky; their tenacity in surviving in an unforgiving environment; their persistence in their existence. I've done my best to emulate them and, as of late, I often come up here to try and figure out how I can do better."

The detachment was slowly falling away from not just her emotional state, but from her expression as well as she looked up at me and said softly, "I think you've done a pretty good job."

"I think you've done an even better one because these very stars remind me of _you_," I offered just as softly. Her spirit was as fiery as any of the stars in the sky and the thought of it burning out was unacceptable to me. Rarely had I ever come across anyone with one or two of the qualities I admired, but I'd never come across _anyone_ who encompassed them all. I couldn't let her spirit be broken by her idiotic sibling, so I offered, "Your brother is…misguided, but I will find Compton and I will do all that I can to learn the truth of what really happened."

Her face fell as soon as I mentioned him, but I knew no good would come of burying everything she was feeling. Sookie was too radiant inside to hide such darkness and with a resigned sigh, she asked, "Can he be glamoured to forget he hates vampires? Or me?"

"He could," I agreed, "but would you want a false version of your brother? He is not the same man from when you were taken. The anger inside of him is very real and while I could make him forget who he was angry with, it would still be there. It would just be deflected onto something or someone else."

She remained silently thoughtful and once I felt the acceptance within her, I was able to relax for the first time that night and she turned to wrap her arms around me, saying, "Thank you. I know you wanted to kill him, but I…I don't think I could handle losing him, even if he is like he is right now."

I kissed her forehead and said, "That is why he still lives."

_The only reason._

November temperatures in southern Louisiana were nothing compared to that of my homeland, but I could feel Sookie's body begin to shiver, so I stood up and brought us back down to my chambers where Pam was waiting for us. Seeing Sookie's red swollen eyes from all of the crying she'd been doing and no doubt feeling my still aggressive protectiveness surrounding her, she wisely didn't ask any questions and just said, "Heidi called. She tracked Compton's scent to the Mississippi border and is waiting on further instructions."

Mississippi was Russell's territory and sending in a tracker without speaking to him first wouldn't be received well should she be found, so I said, "Tell her to stand down. I'll speak to Russell and see if he knows of Compton being in his territory."

I'd heard his bitch of a Maker had been spending time there and Russell had no affinity towards females, so I didn't see him denying my request and took Sookie into my room. I could feel that her whole body ached from all of the stress she'd been under and if it weren't for the ramifications, I would've offered her more of my blood. Instead, I stripped her of her clothes, neither hearing nor feeling any protest from her, and took off the t-shirt I'd been wearing and pulled it over her head before placing her in the bed. The kitten immediately jumped up and curled itself against her chest as I removed my jeans and slipped in behind her. Dawn would be approaching soon, but instead of trying to get any work done in the short time I had left, I wrapped my arms around Sookie's body because I couldn't bear to be away from her when she still felt so dejected. The fact that she was feeling anything was a small victory compared to the numbness she'd felt earlier, but I still wracked my brain searching for anything more I could do or say to make her feel better.

I'd never felt so useless.

"You've already said everything I needed to hear," she whispered into the darkness and once again reminding me of her secret. "I just need time to work through it all and you're not useless." Pushing her body further back into my embrace, I could feel she would be asleep within moments when she added, "You're just what I need."

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: Well, it seems some of you are a bit upset with our old pal Jason and while I don't like him that way either, keep in mind he's been living his nightmare for a year and a half and has now surrounded himself in vampire haters, so while I agree he should've been happier to see Sookie, I think his assumption that she'd spent all of that time with what he now hates made him turn on her. We'll have to wait and see if he changes his tune.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I just think Pam missed her calling in advertising or marketing feminine products.**

Chapter Twelve

**SPOV**

"NO!"

I barely recognized the sound of kitty Sam screeching as he jumped from the bed when I'd screamed out and sat up having woken myself from my nightmare. As I tried to calm myself, I could see on Eric's charging cell phone it was just after four in the afternoon and I brushed back the hair that was plastered to my damp forehead with my heart feeling like it was going to beat its way out of my chest while I tried to erase the disturbing images from my mind of Jason killing Gran. No matter how he'd acted the night before, I knew he couldn't have done that to her, but seeing him had scared me. Not because he'd hit me, but because he was hardly recognizable as the brother I'd last seen, in my mind at least, only a couple of months ago.

His beautiful blond hair was shaved close to his head and while he'd always been tan from being on the road crew; his skin was darker; harder…just like the rest of him seemed to be. He'd never been a slouch when it came to keeping himself in shape, but now he had muscles only hours spent lifting weights, or a year of hard labor, could form. But the biggest change of all had been everything else that lied underneath what the eye could see. I normally did my best to keep my shields up around my friends and family out of respect to them, but I was so emotional seeing him again I couldn't help it. Eric had been right when he said Jason wasn't the same man I'd been forced to leave behind because where he'd once been laidback and a friend to everybody, now his thoughts were like a massive swarm of angry bees full of hatred and venom towards all things vampires and, because I hadn't denied his accusations, hatred of me too.

The pain seared through my body as I fell back down onto the bed and gasped out a sob feeling as though Jason had died just like Gran and I guessed, in a way, the brother I knew had. I still wouldn't give up on trying to find some way to help him, but even I could see that no matter what happened in the future, he would never be the same again and I mourned the loss of what I no longer had; of who he no longer was and would never again be.

I gasped again, only in surprise this time, feeling Eric's arms wrap around me as he pulled me back into his chest, shushing, "What is wrong lover?"

The fact he seemed at least partially awake was enough to startle me out of my grief a little and I ignored his question and asked, "How are you up?" We hadn't even exchanged blood the night before, in fact, he hadn't fed on me at all, but I knew it would still be a little while until sundown.

"I felt your pain," he murmured against my neck and repeated, "What is wrong?"

"I…" I started, but couldn't bring myself to say I felt like my brother had died. That I had no family left or how I was all alone, so the tears running from my eyes had to do the talking for me.

I started to wonder who the telepath in the bed really was when Eric moved his body on top of mine and gently kissed my tears away, saying, "You are not alone. You have _me_." I might have even questioned him about his potential telepathic abilities if his lips weren't suddenly on mine, but instead of feeling the passion and lust that normally came from him when we kissed I only felt his concern and need to comfort me. I'd felt it in droves from him the night before and I doubt I would've been able to get through it at all had he not been there with me. I'd come to need him more than I could've ever imagined and if there was anything I could ever thank Niall for, it would be for leaving me with Eric. He'd been there for me when I didn't think I was strong enough to go on without Gran. He'd tried to give me my brother back in the only way he could when neither one of us knew he too was gone. The only person left in my life I wouldn't be able to stand losing was Eric himself because in the short time I'd come to know him, he'd become my rock to lean on; his was the voice of reason my conscience didn't always want, but needed, to hear; he was the one I'd always felt safest with even when logically I shouldn't have; he was the only person who'd ever made me feel cherished unconditionally in every way. Even now, I could _feel_ his need to make me feel better and in that moment I didn't want to feel the pain anymore, but he'd already given me so much.

Could I ask him to take the pain away too, even if only for just a little while?

Physical comfort was never something I'd been able to enjoy, not without enduring the harsh repercussions that came from touching someone else so that their mind was wide open to me, so being able to relax in Eric's embrace was both new and old at the same time. Just being able to touch someone without being bombarded by their thoughts was still a novelty, but while his thoughts were still mostly silent to me, what I had been able to hear so far only brought me comfort. But the strangest thing of all was how natural it felt being with him, like I'd known him my whole life, and was probably what had given me the courage to never back down from him, even when I probably should have.

But now…

Now he was like a soft warm blanket I could pull tight around my body to keep out the cold, despite the cool temperature of his skin or the hard planes of his body. He was like my childhood teddy bear that I would hug with all of my strength when the thunder boomed across the night sky and never heard one word of complaint. He was like walking into the kitchen to the smell of Gran's apple pie cooling on the counter after a long hard day and knowing there was no better remedy for what ailed you.

He was like home.

My hands wove into his long blond hair as I deepened our still somewhat chaste kiss because I needed to feel his body surround mine to keep out the cold harsh reality I was now facing. I needed to hug him with everything I had because I knew he would protect me from the storm I could feel coming our way without one word of complaint, but most of all I knew he could make the hurt go away and just wanted to feel like I was home again.

I could feel the telltale signs that Eric's body was responding to my touch and his fangs snapped down as my hands wandered further south, so I raked my tongue across one just hard enough to draw a small amount of blood making him growl. The vibration of it reverberated through my body and my legs automatically wrapped around his hips, but I whimpered when he pulled away and hoarsely asked, "Sookie?"

Hearing him call me Sookie wasn't a good sign when what I really needed was for him to call me lover. I needed to _feel like_ his lover for the distraction from everything else I was desperately trying not to feel and what better way than to let him show me what a thousand years worth of sexual experience felt like. I'd never imagined myself begging a man to take my virginity, but in this case I'd do almost anything to hide from my pain, so I whispered, "Please Eric? I just…I just want to feel something else besides sad." I pulled his lips back to mine and pleaded, "Make me feel something else."

No matter how much we'd touched one another or how often we seemed to find ourselves naked together, I couldn't bring myself to tell him exactly what I wanted, but I thought Eric seemed to take the hint when he tenderly kissed me back before pulling away again and with his lips pressed to mine, he whispered, "No lover."

The sting of rejection ran through me as quickly as the sting of tears burned in my eyes, but the man was a walking contradiction because his emotions were suddenly flooded with warmth and affection as he left what felt like a thousand kisses across my face and when he was done, he looked down into my eyes, saying, "I want you more than I have ever wanted anything or anyone. You can feel my words are true and while I look forward to the day you might find it within you to truly give yourself to me I will not take your innocence from you under these circumstances. It is a gift that can only be given once, lover, and you deserve better than to toss it away so freely. If you choose to be with me I want it to be because it is what you want, not because you don't want to be sad."

I wanted to yell and scream at him; runaway from the hurt I already felt and the shame slowly creeping up on me because no matter what the situation, it seemed he would always be my voice of reason and I knew deep down he was right. I was certain that Eric would be my choice when the time was right, but I felt horrible now for having tried to use him in that way. I was no better than any of the other women who constantly threw themselves at him wanting nothing more than the pleasure he could give them, but looking up into his eyes I was taken aback by how much emotion they held and I knew all of it was for me. I didn't feel like I deserved him for what I'd almost done, what I _would have_ done had he not stopped me, but all I could say was, "I'm sorry."

A small smile played on his lips before he playfully rubbed noses with me and said, "Lover, you have no need to apologize to me. Trust me when I say it was a _hard_ refusal to make." He'd punctuated that statement by bearing his hips down on top of me so I could feel exactly how hard _it_ was and feeling like a contradiction myself, I smacked his arm and playfully scowled at him, chiding, "You're filthy!"

I was sure he could feel that I loved every minute of it, but his next words and heated stare did far more damage to my willpower in keeping my chastity intact when he said, "I hope I can show you one day soon just how filthy we can get and then show you how much filthier our shower can be afterward."

Well if he'd been aiming to make me feel something other than sad without even touching me, he was doing a mighty fine job and his soft growl told me he could feel it too, but it only made my longing worse, if it could be called worse, so I was left surprised when he got out of bed and sped into his closet before coming back out in another pair of track pants that hid _nothing_. "Where are you going?" I asked dumbfounded, by many things considering I couldn't think straight.

"Chivalry is not a quality I have much practice in lover, therefore it would be better for me to get up for the evening now before you inadvertently make a liar out of me." Before I could teasingly ask if it was due to his fear of his pants possibly catching on fire, he held his hand out to me, saying, "Come. We will do your scans and pin code so that you may leave the room during the day when you wish and then I will catch up on what I can of the work I missed yesterday while you get something to eat."

I'd been so wrapped up in my own drama I didn't even think about everything Eric must have put on hold to spend the entire evening with me and I quickly got out of bed apologizing, "I'm so sorry Eric. I know you have better things to do than deal with my problems."

"Nonsense lover," he said while taking my right hand and scanning my pointer finger before having me enter in a ten digit number I would remember. It wasn't very original, but I used the day, month, and year of my birthday and tacked on 1000 at the end for his age figuring if somehow somebody had a need to hack the code, it would be the least of my worries because they'd likely would have already removed my finger, needing that as well.

Of course Eric saw what my code was and I could feel the amusement in him, but he didn't say anything as I followed him into the living area to find something to snack on. There were slim pickings since there was nothing more than a microwave to cook with and Eric must have felt my hunger and indifference to what there was to eat because he said, "Pam will take you to eat something more substantial when she rises or you can tell her what you'd like and it will be brought here."

I nodded my agreement and picked up an apple when it dawned on me that he hadn't eaten anything either, so I turned to him and shyly asked, "Umm…are you…hungry? We can…you know…"

I remembered all too well how good it felt when he'd fed on me before, but then I'd fed on him too and even though I knew I wasn't in the right mindset to even think about permanently bonding to him, I couldn't deny the urge I had to take his blood again. I knew V was addictive and hoped I wasn't in danger of becoming an addict, but when I took a moment to analyze my feelings I realized it wasn't really his blood I was craving. It was him that I wanted.

Eric must have felt the jolt of lust that shot through me because he was in front of me a second later and claimed my lips in a kiss that left me breathless when he pulled away before saying, "I am always _hungry_ for you lover, but I will wait until we return later on this evening." His eyes darkened as he added, "If I feed from you now I will likely not get any work done."

I didn't have to ask why because I knew darn good and well how we'd likely spend the rest of the night, so I just nodded and stuck the apple in my mouth before I ended up jumping on the man and begging him to pillage me.

While Eric went off to his office to take care of whatever work had piled up from the night before, I went back into my room to take a shower and change, but as I selected an outfit to wear for the night I wondered if I shouldn't just move my things into his room. After hesitating for a moment I decided it would be too presumptuous of me to do it on my own without Eric mentioning it first and just went about getting cleaned up. By the time I went back out into the living area Pam was already up and sitting on the couch, but seeing what she was wearing made me giggle and ask, "Is it your birthday?"

She was wearing a plastic tiara covered in rhinestones and glitter meant for a child and honestly it didn't really look out of place since she kind of reminded me of an Alice in Wonderland, only with fangs, but she didn't even look up from the magazine she was flipping through as she smiled and said, "Since Eric is too busy being your Prince Charming I feel it is my right to assume the throne and become Queen now that he's been leaving all of the work of running the kingdom to me. This is my warning to him that a takeover is imminent. It is also a warning that I will be using _his_ money to have a real tiara made if he doesn't shape up."

I didn't think about the fact Pam would be left doing everything in Eric's absence and I sat down next to her saying, "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault you've had so much extra work."

"I don't mind Sookie," she smiled putting the magazine down and meeting my eyes. "Honestly, Eric has been festering inside for a while now and it only got worse once he had to assume the mantle of being King, but since you've been here he's been like a giddy schoolgirl that just got asked to the prom by the captain of the football team. You, my little friend, are like the medication human women take when they are cranky and bloated every month. You are Vamprin."

"Pam!" I snickered. "What would Eric say if he heard you?"

She stood up and shrugged her indifference just as Eric walked back into the room, saying, "I would say Pam is in danger of having the _pet fish_ she doesn't want to take care of." I knew I was missing something thanks to the scowl on Pam's face and the glee I could feel coming from Eric, but before I could ask, he said to her, "You will accompany Sookie so that she may have a more substantial meal and have the cooks prepare whatever she would like to be stored here that can be heated up in the microwave." He then turned to me and added, "I must attend to some business in my office, but you may join me when you are ready."

I didn't know how to act now that there was something more to whatever it was we were to each other and wondered if I should kiss him goodbye or tell him to have a nice day, or night, at work, but he took the guessing away by sweeping me into his arms and giving me a kiss that ended much too soon and left me breathless before striding from the room.

I forgot all about Pam standing there witnessing it all until I heard her say, "See? Vamprin. I would guess that you are due to have your monthly soon, so in return Eric could be your Tampax. Vampax! Two body parts of his in particular come to mind that he could use."

"Pam!" I flushed bright red which only made her chuckle while I started towards the door, asking, "How do you even know about those things? Vampires don't get their…_monthly_, do they?"

"No," she said not hiding her delight, whether or not it was due to my embarrassment or the fact she didn't have those issues, I didn't know. "Our bodies are frozen in a type of suspended animation when we are turned and unable to sustain life as we once could while still human. Vampire cannot reproduce in the old fashioned way, but we do enjoy trying."

Pam was always good for informing me of the ways of vampires in the most embarrassing way possible, but I knew they weren't normally so forthcoming and liked that she was with me, even if I was in a near constant shade of crimson around her. When we got to the dining room I was surprised to not recognize even one of the donors we came across. In fact, every last one of them were blond with ample bosoms and I must have scowled when my jealousy reared up because Pam was quick to say, "_I_ chose them. Eric no longer has need for the donors, but I still have the need to tease him."

That made perfect sense to me, knowing her as I did, and I felt foolish for being jealous considering Eric hadn't given me any reason to be, but as we were sitting there with me enjoying the best steak I could ever remember having, I was entertained by watching Pam scowling at everyone that passed us by. All of them were giving her strange looks with small smiles on their lips and I had a hard time not laughing out loud since I could hear what made them so tickled. I was nearly done eating when I decided to step in when Pam scared one of the palace staff by hissing at the poor guy when he'd only grinned at her, so I put my fork down and made sure my mouth was free of food before asking, "Forget something?"

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

I grinned back at her with my eyes flicking up to the top of her head and she hissed again ripping the tiara from her head while I tried to not fall out of my chair from laughing so hard. If I didn't think Eric would lose his mind, I would've held out my wrist and offered her a dose of Vamprin, but instead I just ducked as she threw her plastic crown across the room while I tried to catch my breath.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she snarled at me, but I could see her lips fighting off a smile.

I pursed my lips while trying to muster up a single ounce of sympathy to no avail and said, "But you looked so pretty."

"Bitch," she muttered under her breath.

"Takes one to know one," I smiled back at her and went back to finishing my meal. When I was done eating I made up a list of some simple meals I could keep down in Eric's chambers and then we walked together to Eric's office. Pam was completely stoic and fierce looking whenever we passed anyone, but as soon as they were out of sight she would playfully knock her hips into mine while giving me grief for not telling her she looked like a guest at Renesmee Cullen's birthday party. If anything she was only giving me ideas that involved her and glitter, but we both straightened up when we walked into Eric's office and saw he wasn't alone.

I could tell by her shadowy mind that she was at least part demon, but I had a difficult time trying to decipher her thoughts because it seemed like her mental voice was one long stream of words with no breaks in between them and even though she was standing completely still, it still felt like she was vibrating. All of it went hand in hand with her busy patterned clothing, so as a whole she made me dizzy, but Pam immediately moved me to stand behind Eric's desk while acknowledging, "Diantha," to the girl standing there.

The girl silently nodded in return, but her eyes stayed on me until the sound of Eric's voice drew her gaze to him as he said, "Inform your uncle I will meet with him in person."

"Thankyouyourmajesty," poured from her lips as she bowed quickly and sped from the room.

As soon as we were alone Pam said, "I thought he was dead."

"It would seem rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated," he replied thoughtfully. He must have felt my confusion because he turned to me and offered, "Desmond Cataliades, the lawyer whom I told you about yesterday. It was assumed he'd perished in the bombing in Rhodes, but the lack of his corpse meant nothing at the time as he would've been removed and disposed of by his kind as demons do not decompose and would have had to have been burned. It was the lack of his manifestation following the bombing and absence of any denials from those close to him that led us to believe his existence was no more." Eric sighed, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately, and pulled me down into his lap, adding, "He heard of your sudden reappearance into this world at my coronation and has asked to speak with me concerning you."

"But why?" I half-whined. I'd never been more popular in my life and I'd never wanted it less. I had enough problems going on lately and the last thing I needed was having anything more added onto them.

"We will find out together tomorrow evening lover, but have no fear. I do not believe Cataliades to be a danger to you, but we will remain prepared for anything."

Everything from his voice to his emotions projected nothing but reassurance, but I still couldn't help feeling a little nervous considering what I'd overheard from the other demon the night of Eric's coronation, so I asked, "Who was the demon from that night?"

"He is an associate of Cataliades' brother-in-law, Simon Maimonides, however they maintained separate law practices from one another so while Maimonides might remain suspect due to his association, I believe Cataliades' regard for your fairy kin makes him less dubious when it comes to your welfare."

Well, at least one of us was confident because I didn't know the man from Adam, but I trusted Eric unconditionally and knew he wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to me. I was still curious about my fairy heritage now that he'd confirmed it for me, so I asked, "Have you heard from Niall?"

Preston was still a wildcard as far as I was concerned, but I wondered if he'd be willing to answer a few questions I had. If anything, I'd be able to tell if he was lying to me and when Eric shook his head no, I said, "Maybe I should go and talk to Preston again. He might know what the demons want with me."

Eric's body stiffened underneath me, and not in a good way, while I heard Pam mutter, "Oh, here we go," just as Eric seemed to find his voice by snarling, "No!"

Since all I could get from his emotions was raging jealousy without a hint of concern for my safety, I knew what his issue was and said, "I have a _feeling_ why you're against this, but you're being ridiculous!"

"Ridiculous? _He_ is the one who is _ridiculous_! He thinks you are _his_!" he scowled.

"And Pam thinks I'm the cure to your Vampire Menstrual Syndrome, so bite me and get over it because I think it's a good idea!" I scowled back.

We continued to glare at one another until Pam broke the hostile silence between us, saying, "Dear Abby says couples must learn to compromise in order for their relationship to flourish. Might I suggest you both wait to hear what Cataliades has to say tomorrow evening and if he cannot provide you with all of the answers you seek then Sookie can question her fairy fan afterward." When neither one of us conceded to her admittedly sound rationale, she turned to Eric and said, "But if you're not willing to take up Sookie on her offer, I _do_ feel a bit bloated and a little peckish, so do you mind if I do? I have a feeling I'd quite enjoy taking my _medicine_."

My cheeks heated up knowing exactly what she was implying but I couldn't stop my lips from forming into a grin seeing Eric's obvious distaste at the thought of her feeding, among other things, from me and he finally relaxed underneath me saying, "Sookie and I will wait to see what Cataliades has to say and go from there, but I offer no promises other than if you continue to provoke me Pamela you will need to purchase yourself some _fish food_ for your new _pet_."

I didn't understand what the big deal was over having a pet goldfish and was about to ask when there was a knock on the door. I got up off of Eric's lap and moved to the couch so he could look Kingly while Pam moved to open the door and greeted the vampire I couldn't see but could sense on the other side by saying, "Bubba."

_Seriously? What kind of vampire would be named Bubba? _

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**A/N: Here you go, sans pretend Swedish.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, but I let Eric and Sookie have it their way. *stupid pun you won't get until after you've read down below***

Chapter Thirteen

**EPOV**

I breezed through my chamber's doors and sped to my office hoping that I would be far enough away from Sookie that she wouldn't be able to feel just how uncertain I felt about everything knowing she might misread it, but also knowing I wasn't ready to try and explain. My uncertainty wasn't so much about her, but more so the ambiguity that clouded my mind over the increasingly odd reactions she pulled from me with no effort on her part whatsoever. For a thousand years I'd been a creature of pragmatism and selfishness; I'd only cared for what my own needs were and other than my child, I cared nothing for anyone else or their wants, but with Sookie everything I'd ever known to be a tried and true practice in the art of survival didn't seem to apply. I couldn't even pinpoint when the change within me took place, but there was no mistaking that I was different.

_And I didn't like it._

_But I still wouldn't change it._

It was that fact that bothered me the most. I should, at the very least, _want_ to change it knowing these new feelings were uncharted waters. They could very well lead to my final death if I couldn't find a way to blend them into what I already knew because there was no doubt I wouldn't be able to think clearly when just the very thought she could be taken or harmed already threatened my control. There would be no one left standing; no one that could stop my murderous rampage and I would take down legions singlehandedly leaving a sea of blood in my wake just to get to her. No one would be spared until I finally had her back in my arms safe and unharmed.

_I was fucked._

And I had _yet_ to actually fuck her. Never had I given any thought to the desires of those I'd been with in the past, only taking my own pleasure from their bodies as I saw fit, but even when she'd been willing to give me what I'd been dying to hear from her lips; _permission_ to finally have her underneath me, surrounding me, in a way no other has ever had her, I couldn't do it. I'd been wrong when I'd thought I could deny her nothing, but it was worse than I'd feared because it seemed I _could_ deny her when I knew the possibility existed she could come to regret her rash decision.

_That was a lie._

I denied her because I wanted her to give herself to me, _truly_ give herself to me because somewhere deep down I knew when she did, she would truly be _mine_ and that was what I wanted most of all.

_At least I wasn't as altruistic as I'd feared._

As I sat at my desk going through the reams of paperwork I could feel Sookie's increasing amusement through our tie and found myself distracted by her once again. I felt a small foreign twinge of insecurity wondering if her thoughts were mocking me in my inability to not act like the giddy schoolgirl Pam had painted me as until I felt the jolt of embarrassment from my tie with Pam and I found myself smiling. Whatever had happened between them left my lover joyously amused and knowing she didn't have many friends in her past, while feeling my child's ever increasing fondness for Sookie, was the only reason I allowed Pam so much leeway in taunting me over _my_ ever increasing fondness for the little Fae princess, but my curiosity got the better of me so I logged into the security feed from my computer and pulled up the camera in the dining area where I suspected them to be and found I was right. Sookie was still laughing at a scowling Pam, but I couldn't figure out why until I rewound the footage and nearly fell out of my chair seeing it for myself.

_It was better than having Ginger flown in and lent credence to the laws of karmic justice._

Even on a security feed, Sookie seemed to light up the entire room and I found myself jealous of those around her who got to witness it firsthand while I was left watching from afar like the besotted teenager Pam had accused me of being.

_Sometimes my child was too shrewd for my own good._

I switched back over to my email with a scowl to match my child's and forced myself to work lest I run out there and beat Pam to death for the crime of being right, but my thoughts were quickly diverted by the quick sharp rap on my door.

"Enter!"

The door opened revealing the half demon Diantha who, thanks to Pam's love of pop culture, I would regrettably always think of as Punky Brewster with her sister Gladiola relegated to the role of Rainbow Brite. The broad spectrum of colors and patterns they chose to wear would send any LSD user into convulsions, but I acknowledged her bow with a nod and took the scrolled parchment from her offered hand.

The sisters had been out of circulation since the bombing six weeks earlier, but I'd had no need of their messenger services in that time, so I had no idea of what she could be bringing me now and it was only due to my thousand years of practice that kept my features from portraying the shock I felt upon opening it.

_Your Royal Highness,_

_I apologize for not bringing you this news in person and for not being available to offer my services during what I am sure was a difficult transition to the throne. I suffered severe injuries in the bombing in Rhodes and I am afraid there are those who would try and exploit my weakness in order to learn all that I was made privy to in being in her Majesty's service during her long tenure, so I have been quietly recuperating with the intention of approaching you when I am fully healed however I can no longer wait for that time to come before speaking with you. It has been brought to my attention a missing woman by the name of Sookie Stackhouse has resurfaced and is currently a part of your court as your Royal Courtesan. Your Majesty, I feel it is my duty, not only as your faithful servant, but as a longtime friend to Miss Stackhouse's grandfather that I must warn you she is in grave danger and ask that you meet with me tomorrow evening so that I may inform you of the details in person as I did not want to take the chance of this correspondence being intercepted. I am already on my way to you, but in my weakened condition I will not be able to arrive before then. I look forward to seeing you again and only hope that I am not too late._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Desmond Cataliades_

I felt the beast within me rise up over the thought of anyone daring to try and harm Sookie, but no sooner had he tested the chains that kept him tethered inside of me did my little Fae princess walk through the door. Seeing her unharmed while feeling the residual merriment flowing through her, no doubt thanks to the vampire princess at her side, calmed both me and the monster that threatened to break free.

_She was safe and she would remain that way._

With Diantha gone and explanations given, my little spitfire again tested my restraint by insisting she speak with the fairy prisoner. I sidestepped her request while giving no promises, but I knew her well enough to know she'd be bringing it up again if Cataliades didn't have the answers she sought. No matter though because there would be no way I would be allowing her near him and, if need be, I would just remove him from the equation by killing him.

_She'd already given me her silent approval._

My murderous fantasies were put on hold by the arrival of my spy, but before I could warn Sookie to not react to his former human identity, he walked in with his usual jovial greeting of, "Hey Mr. Eric!" and I turned to see Sookie's face light up with recognition along with feeling her need to possibly squeal at potentially deafening levels.

She got as far as, "Oh my God! You're…" before I was up and had my hand across her lips, whispering into her ear, "Bubba." Since I now knew she could feel me I pushed caution through our bond and felt it when she calmed on the inside, so I turned to face my accidental undercover agent, saying, "Bubba. This is Sookie. She is mine." I thrilled inside not feeling one ounce of irritation from her, but I pushed it aside as I continued their introductions with, "Sookie. This is _Bubba_." Further explanations would have to wait until he was gone, but at least she hadn't brought Hund with her, which was what I'd decided to call her pet. It was Swedish for 'dog' and close enough in my estimation considering what she'd decided to name the cat which would never be spoken by me.

With the formalities out of the way I resumed my position behind my desk and said, "So Bubba, did you find anything of interest in Jackson?"

I hoped he wouldn't reply he'd found a litter of kittens to drain knowing Sookie couldn't be glamoured to forget such a thing, so I was relieved when he responded, "Yep. That Bill Compton turned up at Mr. Russell's just like ya thought he might, runnin' straight to that Maker a his. She ain't so nice."

Saying Lorena Ball wasn't _nice_ was the equivalent of saying a rabid grizzly bear was _moody_. After Sookie had finally fallen asleep the night before I tore myself from her side intending to call Russell and ask for his assistance when I remembered Bubba was in Jackson visiting. I had some level of trust with Russell, but any monarch would rightfully covet a part-Fae telepath, so I put my faith in the anomalous vampire in front of me knowing he was at least good at following orders. I could tell by the excitement on his face, yet another incongruity of his vampire state with his ill-advised turning, there was more he wished to share and asked, "And?"

He opened up his jacket and handed over what appeared to be a computer hard drive, saying excitedly, "I saw him bury this back in Mr. Russell's woods, so when him and that Maker was _sayin' their hellos_, I went back and dug it up. I figured it musta been important for him to hide it like he did."

"Very good Bubba," I smiled back at him. Having an extraordinary child myself, I normally had no sympathy for inept vampire and felt they should be staked by their Makers in shame for what they'd produced, but I'd always had a soft spot for Bubba. Pam attributed it to the brief period in early 1956 when I'd worn blue suede shoes.

_She could fuck off. They were cool._

"And what was Russell's reaction to Compton's presence?" I asked. "Did they speak about anything other than the formalities of him checking into the state?"

"Naw," he smiled affably. "Mr. Russell didn't pay him no never mind. He ain't built like them other young guys he likes to keep around and him and Mr. Bartlette was _busy,_ if ya catch my drift."

Between his waggling eyebrows and his pointed looks in Sookie's direction a cruise ship would have been able to catch his drift and ride it clear across the Atlantic, but feeling the momentary spike of terror from Sookie as he spoke diverted all of my attention to her. She must have felt my concern because she raised her hand up in front of her and shook her head saying, "It was nothing."

_A lie._

I involuntarily pushed my need to know the truth from her through our bond, but if anything it felt like she was pushing back her own need for me to let it go however there was no way I could. She had fairies and demons after her; her own brother had assaulted her and all but called her a whore as he disowned her; she'd taken a bullet meant for me and not once did I feel the kind of fright inside of her that she'd just experienced.

_Fear; pain; humiliation._

I felt them all coursing through her as she tried to bury them away again, so I turned to Bubba, saying, "Very well Bubba. I would like for you to go back to Jackson and see if you can learn anything more." I glanced at my child and added, "Pam will see to your dinner before you go."

_After all, she was the pussy prize patrol._

Pam huffed as Bubba said, "Thanks Mr. Eric!" Turning to Sookie he added, "Nice ta meet ya Miss," and then they were both out the door.

Sookie's anxiety only rose now that we were alone and I found I despised feeling it knowing it was because of me, but I couldn't let it go unspoken and asked, "What is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she mumbled while looking everywhere but back at me.

I moved to sit next to her on the couch and was appeased somewhat when she felt better as I pulled her into my lap, so I pressed, "You felt fear. Is it Compton?" She shook her head no, so I continued on listing everything and everyone Bubba had mentioned with none of them eliciting any reaction from her until I said, "Bartlette?" It had been a long time since I'd felt physically ill, but now that I was tied to Sookie I could feel her nausea as if it were my own, so I reflexively swallowed and asked, "Why is it you fear the King of Indiana?"

I knew I was the first vampire she'd ever met and he hadn't looked twice at her during the coronation. Simply put, she wasn't his type, but her distaste for who I thought was him was very real until she softly explained, "Not him, my great uncle. His name is Bartlett too. He's my Gran's brother."

I could tell it took all of her strength just to tell me that much, so I sat back and analyzed her reactions.

_Fear. Pain. Humiliation._

I felt a link of the beast's chain snap as I could only draw one conclusion and snarled, "Did he strike you?"

I'd had a hard enough time allowing her brother to live after witnessing him smack her, but a great uncle was far enough removed in my mind that his death would mine. She hadn't even mentioned his existence when I'd asked her if she had other family members she wanted me to locate, so I knew she wouldn't miss his presence in her life.

_But I wouldn't miss out on his presence in my dungeon._

I was brought up short scenting her tears followed by the soft shake of her head as she whispered, "No. He didn't hit me."

_But then why…_

The growl ripped through my chest before I could stop it realizing now what it was she couldn't say. Preying on children was a crime I had never condoned, be it as a human or vampire, and that I knew for a fact he hadn't penetrated her through my own exploration of her body would not grant him any mercy in what would be a painfully drawn out death by my hand. However, I would not make my lover relive her nightmare by asking any more questions. She'd supplied me with all I needed to know in order to find him, so instead I merely held her and pushed comfort through our bond that she need say no more. Sookie had had enough pain over the last day or so and I would not purposely add to it now when she'd managed to find a way to overcome her earlier sadness.

When she felt calmed down again, I hoped to bring that spark back up to the surface by asking, "Would you feel better if I ordered Pam to wear that ridiculous crown around the palace for a week?"

My very serious offer was met with a not so serious snort as she wiped away her tears and chuckled against my shoulder, "I don't know. She broke that one, but if you're willing to get her a real one, I doubt she'd complain."

Her lightening mood was improving my own, so I squeezed her tighter and smiled, saying, "I was thinking more along the lines of getting her one of those crowns from the fast food chain. She could pick you up a burger while she's there so her new title as the Burger Queen isn't a false one."

It was enough to tip her over the edge from her despair and she laughed outright, barely able to choke out her question, "Is Pam in danger of being commanded to end every sentence she speaks with, 'Do you want fries with that?'"

_She is now._

Sookie herself was in danger of hyperventilating from laughing so hard, but her rising spirits and shaking body were making other things rise and harden for me as well. My dick had never been as singularly preoccupied by someone as it had been with Sookie and now was no different, so both of us were quite delighted when she moved to straddle my lap with her legs, but I couldn't tell if my ingenuous future lover realized the affect she had on me. With the fabric of her dress bunched up in between us and her lap firmly pressed down on my own, there was no hiding it, but instead of the raunchy and wanton display I had become accustomed to from my past _relief_ (and wouldn't stop her from doing, if that was her intention), it was _Sookie_ who was flooded with relief as she cupped my face in each of her hands. I didn't understand. I couldn't understand the feelings coming through our bond, but it was intense. It was similar to the tender adoration I'd already felt from her but where those gave me the sense they were floating towards me on a warm breeze, these new feelings were barreling towards me like a freight train. Her warmth and affection had grown tenfold, intermingled with a rapidly building scorching desire, but my little fairy princess surprised me yet again when she pressed her lips to mine as though I was made of spun sugar and she was afraid of distorting their shape yet could not help but taste.

_The beast inside of me purred._

_I held his chain tighter before we both pounced._

I let her take from me what she wanted without regard for my own desires and when she finally pulled back, she simply said, "Thank you."

"For what, lover?" I asked not understanding, but still hoping to keep her spirits from plummeting again, I added, "I'm sure I could buy a whole warehouse full of those paper crowns for a fraction of the cost of what a real one would be."

She grinned impishly, replying, "For just being you."

I'd known from the beginning that my Sookie was a survivor, but despite all of the things I now knew she'd overcome in her short lifespan, as well as the things she had yet to face, I still had the unreasonable desire to steal her away; to protect her from everything that would hurt her; to keep her all to myself so her smiles would only ever be for me; to cage her body with my own so that my own personal sun only ever shined down its warmth on me, but I knew the selfless creature in my lap would fight me tooth and nail if I dared try. I had the wealth, power, and cunning to give her whatever material things her heart desired and I yet I could feel her heart only desired me.

_She'd had me long before she'd ever made the request._

Unfortunately my night had only begun and I was due to hold court to settle a few disputes between vampire in my fealty that could not be resolved by their sheriffs, but with Cataliades' warning, I refused to let Sookie out of my sight, so when Pam returned a few moments later I had her sit beside Sookie in the hall off to the side of my throne. I had quickly changed out of my normal jeans and t-shirt into something a little more formal, but when Sookie saw me now dressed in the gray slacks and jacket with a black button up shirt, my fangs threatened to click down feeling the lust that tore through her veins and directly into my cock.

_It was going to be a long night._

Sookie had attended court before, but now that she had disclosed her secret to us, her gift became quite handy. While she couldn't read the minds of vampire, it was open season on those who brought their pets along. To everyone else in the room, it appeared she was quietly working on a crossword puzzle, but in truth she was jotting down notes on the thoughts of the pets and anything of interest was relayed to me by Pam in Swedish, thereby giving me the opportunity to tell her to look into Sookie's great uncle's whereabouts without annoying Sookie with my methods.

Spies or lies, they were no match for my lover and thanks to her ability to cut through the bullshit we were able to return to my chambers much earlier than planned, so after sending Pam off to look into the contents of Compton's hard drive, I made sure to acknowledge my appreciation to her, saying, "Thank you for all of your help this evening lover. Court has never been so black and white before."

She shrugged as though her gift was no big deal and said, "Maybe if they didn't discount the humans they kept around them as nothing more than mindless pets, their secrets would have remained secret."

She was right. They'd been foolish to discuss anything within earshot of their pets and while I'd never been guilty of that recklessness, I was guilty of dismissing humans as inferior and therefore inconsequential. Their usefulness fell into one or two of three categories: taste; pleasing physical attributes; or above average business acumen. Since no one would ever rate higher than Sookie in the first two categories, I only had need of those who fell into the third and it occurred to me that it would behoove me to have her read my business associates, but before I could ask, she said, "It might be a good idea for me to read the humans you employ. You know, just to make sure they're loyal to you and don't have any hidden agendas. I've listened in to the ones I've run into, but that's mostly just the donors and palace staff. I'm sure you must have people who handle your affairs during the day, don't you?"

"I do," I answered. Seeing her standing there, now barefoot with nothing more than a couple of yards of fabric standing between me and her sinful taste, and even more sinful pleasing physical attributes, I couldn't help but to stalk towards her as I let my jacket slide from my shoulders and fall to the floor, no longer giving a shit about anything that didn't have to do with her.

Perhaps it was her self-preservation instincts finally kicking in or her naturally teasing nature, but she took a step backwards in response and the beast inside of me stirred again. I felt no fear from her, just equal amounts of lust and nervousness, so I took another step forward and licked my lips, asking deceivingly sweetly, belying my need to devour her, "Where are you going lover?"

She swallowed hard and giggled nervously as the back of her legs hit the bed and she collapsed onto the mattress. My temptress positioned herself in the middle and demurely crossed her legs, with her upper body held up resting on her elbows while she pointedly looked around the bed before meeting my eyes again, and smiled, answering, "Setting your dinner table?"

I was on her before she could even see me move, but instead of being scared, peals of laughter left her lips until I silenced them with a kiss, showing her I was not made of spun sugar. Nor was my dick that was now digging into her thigh, but when I felt her hands begin to open each of the buttons on my shirt and then the heat of her skin as her palms slid inside, I nearly came undone.

_Literally. I was almost embarrassed._

The need I felt from her now had nothing to do with her attempts at avoiding pain and sadness. Now it was all yearning and passion that burned within her, merely fueling my own, but even if she had mentally been ready to take me as her lover, I knew her body was not. Taking any man into her body for the first time would be a painful experience, but a man of my size would be agonizing without being properly prepared for such an intrusion, so when her hands finally divested me of my shirt, I allowed my own hands to wander, testing her willingness, and was rewarded with her arching into my caresses. She gave no verbal, physical, or emotional rebuffs as I slowly pulled down the zipper at her side and helped me in removing the offending piece of fabric that stood in between us by lifting her body as I pulled it free. Never had I wanted someone as much as I wanted her, but I restrained myself knowing her body needed to be primed to take mine. It would take more than a single night to accomplish, but that didn't mean I wouldn't take my pleasure in feeling her own, so when her hands slid down with the intention of removing my pants, I slid away from her grasp, with my lips trailing down the naked flesh they'd been denied from tasting two nights earlier, knowing I would need that flimsy barrier to keep myself from acting too rashly.

Her skin tasted of sunlight despite having been kept out of it for weeks and I gorged myself on it along with her cries of ecstasy. I had yet to find one thing I did not find remarkable about my lover and presumed I may never. Her young pliable skin was tone yet soft as a woman should be, filling my hands and mouth with flesh instead of bones, but it was the scent of her arousal filling the air that drew me further down like a moth to a flame. As I settled in between her legs, I could feel her uncertainty over being in a new and atypical position peek through, but with the first swipe of my tongue through her sex she gave herself over to the hedonism only I could teach her.

My lover, however, would not be outshone in teaching one new things because I felt my eyes roll back in my head when the first drop of her arousal hit my tongue. I'd been with thousands of women, tens of thousands, but none had ever tasted as sweet as my Sookie and were it not for the inimitable flavor of her blood, I would have gladly attempted to survive on the river of honey she'd magically produced in between her thighs.

_I could already hear Pam's voice calling her my own personal Pixie stick._

I sank into her, refusing to allow a single drop go to waste, but I knew in order for me to ever be able to truly sink into her, she would need to be prepared, so I begrudgingly gave up my second favorite meal and moved my lips to her clit while sliding a single finger inside of her. Her hands had long since taken root in my hair and her hips bucked up in response, but feeling the small flap of skin signifying her virtue was still intact, I quickly brought her to climax and sliced through it with my fingernail while she was lost in her rapture. The flash of her blood on my tongue combined with the pleasure beating at me through our bond tore another growl from my chest, but I held fast and stayed my desire to bite. Instead of allowing her to come down from her euphoric high, I continued to pump into her and redoubled my efforts on her clit. When her inner muscles had loosened enough and before they could constrict again with her next release, I added a second finger making her gasp above me.

The sound drew my eyes to her face and I didn't like seeing her eyes closed, so I continued to scissor my fingers inside of her, readying her for the day she would truly be mine in every way, and said, "Look at me lover."

I could already feel she was close to cumming a second time and I wanted to see it for myself, so I held her gaze as I ran my lips and tongue across her femoral artery, each of us watching the other as my fangs pierced the skin of her supple inner thigh. She cried out with her second orgasm while I howled my exultation as her fairy flavored nirvana flooded my taste buds with my hips bucking maddeningly against the mattress, seeking out the spot my fingers had yet to leave. I'd thought my lover beautiful on many occasions, but nothing would ever compare to the splendor of watching her cum.

Again I was assaulted with the overwhelming desire to feed her my blood and complete the bond we had already begun, but I knew she'd been through too many emotional upheavals over the previous few days to broach the subject now. It would be unfair of me to do so knowing in her lust-addled brain she would likely agree to anything. My own lust fueled desires were likely clouding my judgment as well and if we were take that step and permanently bond our lives to one another, I wanted us to at least do it with clear heads, so I shelved the thought for now and just took my enjoyment from my lover's body.

Sealing her wound, I decided to not heal it with my blood knowing no other would see it but me and I quite liked having my mark on her skin. Her eyes were still half lidded when I finally kissed my way up her body, but the light within them nearly blinded me in their brilliance. She truly was like the stars in the sky, but when she pushed on my shoulders for me to lie on my back and her naked body slithered on top of my own, I gasped in shock feeling her petal soft lips kiss their way down my bare chest until they hovered above the evidence of my still woolen clad unfulfilled need. The silent plea in her eyes and the longing hammering through our bond had my hips instinctively leap upwards and she smiled seductively with my silent acquiescence, so I could do nothing else but prepare myself for what would surely be my true death in the mouth of a fairy princess.

**It never made one lick a sense to me that Bill effing Compton knew Bubba/Elvis, but the King of Mississippi did not. Not. One. Lick. Speaking of licks…I'm off to write the next chapter. ;) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: I'm **_**so**_** sorry for not updating for so long. I swear, the older I get, the faster time flies, but I had no idea it had been over a month already; however that explained why I was a little fuzzy on what was going on when I'd last left off, so I reread it. In case you all have forgotten too, I've included a little summary of events thus far to bring you back up to speed.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, a couple of Eric's lines down below in particular. I'm just putting them in a different setting.**

_Recap: Eric is the King of Louisiana and Arkansas after Sophie-Anne was killed in the bombing in Rhodes. After being warned by the A.P. that Sookie was in danger, Niall kidnapped her right before Bill Compton went to Bon Temps and took her into the Fae realm to keep her safe from Demons and Breandan's followers. When his home was under attack he brought her back into the human realm and left her in Eric's care where she learns close to a year and a half has passed. Sookie eventually comes to look at both Eric and Pam as her friends, but she still manages to escape back to Bon Temps where she learned Gran was dead and the farmhouse had been burned down. Eric finds her there and is surprised finding out the house she grew up in was the same one he'd gone to while cursed by Hallow. They fly back to the palace with Tina only to learn Tina is actually Preston who thinks Sookie is his. They mutually exchange blood and later on Sookie saves Eric from a wooden bullet at his coronation with them exchanging blood a second time the next night. The following night they learn Jason is in prison having been convicted for murdering Gran and setting fire to the farmhouse with Maxine Fortenberry as the star witness. They go talk to Sam who tells them what happened and learn Bill had been in Bon Temps around the same time and now he's left the palace, where he was recovering from his injuries in Rhodes, and has gone to Jackson where Lorena is. When they visit Jason they find out he's the leader of the FoTS in prison and he disowns Sookie. The next night Eric gets a letter from Mr. Cataliades who has been in hiding, recovering from his own injuries in Rhodes, but asks to speak to Eric concerning Sookie which brings us up to now._

Chapter 14

**SPOV**

I couldn't tell whose lust was whose, with Eric's emotions channeling straight into my own, but I couldn't be bothered to care because the fact of the matter was we were both feeling it. That alone was enough to keep me from wanting to stop however while my body was fueled with nothing but desire for the man now underneath me, what gave me peace of mind – what warmed my heart – was realizing I was falling in love with him. Logically I knew it was quick. We hadn't really been _together_ but for a few days, but we'd been through more together in those few days than some couples experienced in a lifetime and through it all, Eric never once waivered from standing at my side; from holding me up when I was too weak to stand on my own; from bringing me back from the depths of my despair, not once, but three times. I'd already learned in the Supernatural world nothing was given without a price; favors done became debts owed, but thanks to my bond with Eric and the snippets of thoughts I'd been able to hear, I knew his actions had been completely selfless. It was perhaps a first in his millennium long lifetime. His only want was for me to be comforted and happy because he just wanted me. I knew he would kill for me – I knew that thought alone should scare me, but it didn't. We might be living in a palace and each of us came with our own royal titles, but this was no fairytale. He was a killer by nature; a survivalist by instinct and yet with me he was just a man. I'd seen his tenderness, his anger, his passion, and his rage, but I was never afraid – not of him.

_Because I loved all of him._

I realized it when I could feel his need to kill when he'd guessed about my childhood trauma, but he cast aside what his own instincts demanded of him and instead pushed solace into me. To him, my wellbeing took priority over everything else and coming from a man who was running two kingdoms, with hundreds of others depending on him, while keeping those who wanted to take what he had at bay, I was left awestruck. He put me first – time and again – even before we'd become anything more than just friends. Because of my curse, it was more than I'd ever dared to hope for, but with Eric I got to experience the best of both worlds. I could touch him without his thoughts screaming into my head and what I did hear from time to time only brought me happiness. I could feel the sincerity behind everything he told me, so I didn't have to question his motives because I could feel his intent and while I wasn't quite sure that he loved me too, whatever it was he felt for me was something close to it.

_And that was close enough for me._

The things Eric made me feel just moments earlier were better than anything I'd ever read in one of my trashy romance novels, but having been subjected to the thoughts of one Lafayette Reynolds on more than one occasion, I had my own ideas on how I could repay the favor. Any nervousness I may have felt was quickly replaced by determination as I removed his pants, carefully lowering the zipper knowing my vampire liked to go commando, and I felt another flood of moisture gush between my thighs seeing it spring free. It wasn't the first time I'd seen it, nor would it be the first time I'd felt it, but now I literally wanted to devour him. I wanted to give him the pleasure he'd given to me, but more than that, I wanted to be the one that brought him to the point of no return; who broke his self-control until he had no choice but to succumb to me.

_Because he was mine._

His body truly was a work of art; a masterpiece that deserved to be worshipped for hours on end, but seeing his hands gripping the sheets on either side of him and his eyes tightly closed made me set aside those desires for now knowing he needed some sort of relief. Remembering earlier that evening when he seemed able to read my thoughts and wondering if our bond somehow worked both ways, I silently projected his earlier command back at him, thinking, "Look at me lover."

His eyes snapped open with my unspoken request and seeing my lips now hovering a hair's breadth above his more than adequate gracious plenty, they only darkened with barely restrained passion, but I knew from his expression he didn't realize I hadn't spoken the words out loud. It was something we would need to talk about later on, but for now the time for talking was over.

_My mouth would be too full to maintain any kind of conversation anyway._

I watched as he gasped when my tongue darted out, stealing the drop of his arousal that had pooled on the tip, and while I'd already been determined to see it through no matter how it tasted, I was surprised finding I enjoyed the flavor. I greedily went back for more while my hand wrapped around the base of his shaft knowing it would be impossible for me to fit all of him into my mouth and I hummed my appreciation when more of his flavor hit my tongue, inadvertently causing Eric's hips to buck upwards as he growled out his approval. It was impossible for me to maintain steady eye contact, with me getting lost in everything I was doing to him – in everything we were both feeling at that moment, but whenever my eyes strayed back up to his face his eyes were there watching me and it only turned me on more.

I'd never done anything like what I was now doing to Eric, but wanting him to get the most out of it, I made sure to pay attention to everything his body and our bond was telling me. He liked it when I hummed; he panted breaths he didn't need when I tightened my grip and increased the force of suction with my mouth; he growled when I used my teeth to lightly scrape against his skin on my upward strokes, but when I used my free hand to gently caress his balls with my fingertip lightly stroking the skin just underneath them his entire body stiffened with his eyes slamming shut as he warned, "Lover…I…I'm going to cum."

All it took was for me to hum my approval when my mouth was flooded with his seed and I hungrily swallowed it all even as my ears rang from the roar that exploded from his chest. His hands finally let go of the sheets to gently entwine in my hair while I licked him clean from base to tip, not wanting to waste a single drop, all while he mumbled incoherently above me. It could've been Swedish, but for all I knew it was gibberish and I felt oddly proud that I'd made him that way because I'd seen enough in the minds of the donors to know none of them had gotten that kind of reaction from him before.

When there wasn't another drop to be had he pulled me up the length of his body and captured my lips in a kiss as he rolled our bodies so that I was underneath him once more and when he finally pulled away so I could take a much needed breath, the intensity in his eyes made that same breath catch in my throat, but what made my heart skip a beat was what I could feel from him. That feeling – those emotions that were close to love – had only grown bigger and I could feel his own confusion over them as well as the acceptance that blanketed them all, so when he seemed at a loss for words and knowing he wasn't ready to hear the words I wasn't even sure I was ready to say, I let him off of the hook with a smile and just whispered, "Me too."

It seemed to be enough for now and with those words the last spoken by either one of us, it wasn't long until I fell asleep, safely ensconced in the arms of the man I loved. He must have really worn me out because I didn't wake up again until Eric had already risen for the night and by risen, I do mean _all_ of him. One of his needs was pressed against my thigh while his lips played against my neck with his whiskers tickling my skin and my arms wrapped around his body as I pressed myself against him hoping his cool skin would help alleviate the fire now burning through my veins, but when I shifted in order to wrap my legs around him as well, another part of him inadvertently shifted so that all it took was a small swivel of my hips for his erection to slide through my quickly moistening folds.

"Sookie," he groaned – half warning and half pleading, but I'd already made up my mind. I wanted him – all of him – and saw no reason to wait any longer. It wasn't out of sadness or diversion from my thoughts that made me want to give myself to him, it was the love and gratitude – the warmth and affection – I had for him. No one ever made me feel what I now felt for him and I knew once I gave myself to him in this way, there would be no turning back. Not only could I feel his own emotions for me, but after seeing his reaction to Preston's attempt to claim me I knew Eric would never willingly let me go once we took this next step. I would be his in every way and I was okay with that because I knew without a doubt – from his deadly vampire king persona to his amused and exasperated acceptance at being the target of Pam's and my mischief – I loved all of him.

_And he would be mine in every way too._

Since I hadn't said anything, Eric attempted to pull away in order to put some space in between us, but I merely held on tighter and moved my hips again so that his tip was resting against my entrance. I pulled his lips back to mine, whispering, "Please? I want to," reassuringly against his skin.

His entire body froze with his eyes locked onto mine and I was sure he was picking apart our bond to make sure, but even knowing I'd meant every word, he questioned, "Are you sure?"

His own unneeded breath caught in his throat when I pushed every ounce of the love I felt for him through our bond and hoped it, along with my small nod, would be enough because I feared if I dared open my mouth, I might say those three little words and knew it was too soon for us to have _that_ conversation.

_One thing at a time._

"Sookie," he managed to whisper both tenderly and warningly, "you must be sure before you truly give yourself to me because once I've had you, I won't be able to let you go. I don't think I could have even before now, but by giving me this gift – make no mistake – you will be mine. Forever."

I understood what he was saying. I heard every word. He was merely repeating what I'd already known, but something deep down inside – the same thing that had me racing against a wooden bullet without thought – told me this was right. I was exactly where I was meant to be with the man I was meant to be with, so thoughts of forever no longer gave me pause. They only gave me comfort.

"I'm already yours," I whispered back truthfully. "So take me and show me that you're just as much mine."

I wasn't sure what I expected his reaction would be, but instead of taking what I'd offered him right away, his body sank down further onto mine as his lips lovingly coaxed my own into a gentle kiss. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes knowing the affection he was showing me was his own gift to me. Like my virginity, his gift would only ever be given to me – I could read it straight from his thoughts – and as our shared passion began to inflame once again, I could feel the moisture of my own arousal now coating my upper thighs and was nearing the point of begging him when he slid through my folds once more and then slowly began to push inside of me. We each held our breath as my body gradually adjusted to his size and while it wasn't excruciating, I felt uncomfortably full, but I didn't let that dissuade me and locked my ankles together around his body forcing myself to take him deeper.

"Patience lover," he grunted out with his restraint. "I don't want to hurt you."

Patience wasn't a trait I'd ever been known for and now was no exception. Already the slight soreness I'd felt initially was giving way to something much better, but I wanted to feel him all the way inside of me. I wanted our two bodies connected completely – like I now knew I wanted our bond to be as well, but I wouldn't take his blood again unless he offered it, not yet knowing if a permanent tie was something he wanted, so I did the next best thing and gave him my own. As he struggled to maintain his restraint, denying both of us in the process, I pulled his mouth back to mine and slashed my tongue across his fangs. The taste of my blood was enough to make him lose command over his self-control and almost effortlessly I was able to pull him inside of me the rest of the way. We moaned into each other's mouths and the sting only lasted for a few seconds, but feeling him like that for the first time – our bodies throbbing against one another so intimately – while our kiss continued on had me bucking my hips in the hopes he would move.

I was sure he could feel what I wanted – I knew because I could feel it was what he wanted too – and when he finally pulled his hips back his lips left mine and in a hoarse voice he said, "This is right," and as he pushed back in, he ended with, "This is best."

If I'd been in a different frame of mind, I might have argued the point with him since I was certain every other woman he'd ever been with had been better than me, but I didn't care. All I could focus on was how he felt; how his body made mine sing and as his hands and lips began to seemingly touch every other part of me at the same time, all I could do was give myself over to it all. Now I could finally understand why every other person's thoughts were preoccupied by sex, but I knew it was only that much better for me – not only because I happened to choose someone with a thousand years of experience, but because I loved him as well. I trusted Eric more than I'd ever trusted anyone and by giving him that trust, I'd unknowingly freed myself. I didn't have to get caught up in my own mind wondering what this meant to him or what our future held because the answers were there in his eyes; they were there in our bond and as I felt myself hovering on the edge, I held his head to my breast and begged him for my release, pleading, "Bite."

There was nothing painful about the way his fangs slid into my skin and I felt my inner walls clamp down around him inside of me as I yelled out his name. He growled against my skin as he pulled on the wound and his hands gripped my hips tighter as he thrust into me over and over again with his pubic bone hitting me in just the right way each time, only drawing out my orgasm, before he finally pulled back and roared out my name, as I felt him explode inside of me. He continued to stroke in and out of me almost lazily as my muscles milked him of everything he had and the pure bliss floating back and forth between us was like a high I never knew existed. I imagined it would only be that much better if we were permanently bonded, but I didn't want to broach the subject now when I knew neither one of us was thinking straight.

Eric made sure to heal his bite marks before pulling me flush against his body and he nuzzled my ear before finally looking into my eyes wearing a smile I had yet to see on him as he said, "Thank you lover."

I knew he was thanking me for giving him my virginity, but in my euphoria I ended up giggling out, "Oh, I think I should be the one thanking you."

_Seriously. I totally deserved every last one of the hateful thoughts and daggers thrown my way from the last batch of donors knowing I'd be mad too if I was them._

My lips went right back to kissing him again and I marveled over his turnaround time feeling The Beast stirring against my leg, when we heard Pam shout from the other side of the door, _"It's about fucking time! Speaking of the time, you do realize Cataliades will be here soon?"_

"Fuck," Eric sighed, I assumed at whatever Pam had said through the door. I was too busy enjoying our post-coital high to get upset over their super secret Swedish speak until Eric said with a grin, "_My lover_, while I would love nothing more than to lie here in bed with you for the evening, I'm afraid we must get ready. Cataliades will be here soon and you must eat something to maintain your strength."

I'd forgotten all about our meeting, but considering the man's skills, I was surprised I hadn't forgotten my own name. He certainly had the art of leering down pat because his eyes let me know exactly why I would need to maintain my strength and since I didn't have any clothes to wear, I threw his t-shirt on before literally skipping towards the door. Eric caught me around my waist before I could get too far as he nuzzled my neck from behind, asking, "Where are you going? How am I to show you how dirty a shower can be?"

I hadn't really been walking funny, but I was definitely feeling the soreness now that I was up and moving around and Eric must have felt it too because I heard him say, "Please forgive me of my thoughtlessness lover," and I saw his bloody finger appear in front of me moments before he slipped it inside of me. In an instant all of the aches I'd been feeling were replaced with a wholly different kind of ache while his lips and tongue trailed across the back of my neck and shoulders. My body started moving on its own in keeping with Eric's movements and I barely had the chance to gasp out my displeasure when he pulled it out of me when I suddenly felt the cold tiles at my back with the water beating down on us as Eric lifted me up and thrust into me again. Now that he knew I could take all of him there was no hesitation on his part and my hands gripped his shoulders as he pounded into me over and over. While I'd already dismissed the worries I'd had days earlier over the thought of becoming addicted to his blood, I could now see being addicted to his body and the things it could do to me was a very real possibility. At the moment I couldn't think of one good reason to ever leave his room – fairies and demons; kingdoms and hostile takeovers be damned – I had a Viking who needed to pillage and plunder everything he could from my body.

The man really knew how to optimize his time because he didn't waste a single minute, making sure I climaxed twice before he let himself go and since my legs refused to work, he continued to hold me up as he lovingly washed my body, all the while making me blush as he complimented each part of me his hands touched. Eventually I was able to return the favor and our shower ended up taking twice as long as it would have had we washed separately, but neither one of us seemed to care. In fact Eric didn't seem to have a care in the world until I wrapped a towel around my body and made to leave his chambers with him asking again, "Where are you going?"

"Well unless our meeting with your lawyer is clothing optional, I need to go get some to put on."

He frowned – and even that was adorable on him – as he offered, "Would you consider moving your things into this room?"

Color me shocked. If anything, I knew Eric was the type to just order Pam to do it, but I'd wanted to anyway and since he asked so nicely, I agreed, "Yes, I'll do it when we get back tonight."

He tsked me with a smile that had I been wearing any panties, they would've poofed away just like my fairy kin, as he said, "I'm afraid that's impossible as you'll be too busy doing _me_ when we return for the night."

I thought I should maybe huff over his presumption or chastise him for his lewdness, so what did I do? I agreed with a breathy, "Okay," and fanned my now sweltering skin as I managed to turn and get his door open.

_And nearly lost my towel when I doubled over with laughter seeing Pam._

"I'd normally be happy for you and my asinine Maker, but I hate both of you right now. Do you want fries with that?"

Even if I couldn't feel Eric's amusement, I could hear his barking laughter all the way from the bathroom and I could barely catch my breath enough to say, "I love the new crown. Much more regal than the tiara."

The world's first Vampire Burger Queen looked positively livid as she seethed, "I mean it Sookie. Do you want fries with that? I hate you both. Do you want fries with that? He _commanded_ me to end every sentence I speak to you with that fuckery. Do you want fries with that? I can't _not_ do it. Do you want fries with that?" She ended her tirade with a scream, but I was too busy laughing at her to be frightened.

When I finally calmed down somewhat and brushed the tears from my eyes, I took in her expectant look and snorted out, "Actually, I'd prefer onion rings."

"You bitch! Do you want fries with that?"

I didn't realize Eric was behind me until I saw her angry eyes glare several inches above my head and feeling bad for my temporarily former friend, I turned to him and asked sweetly, "Can you please do whatever it is so she doesn't have to say that anymore?"

"Do you not want fries, lover? It was your idea," he snickered.

Pam's hiss brought my eyes back to her, but since I didn't really believe she'd hurt me or that Eric would make her leave his chambers still under that command, all I could do was shrug sympathetically and say, "I'd offer you a dose of Vamprin, but I have a feeling that would only make things worse." I really did feel bad for her, so I offered, "Since it was _sort of_ my idea, I hereby symbolically lift your Maker's command and now I'm gonna go change while he does it for real."

With that, I took the paper crown from her head and stuck it on my own, laughing out, "This is more a redneck fairy princess's style anyway," and went into my soon to be old room. By the time I came back out a few minutes later – sans paper crown – the two of them seemed back to normal, but just to be sure, I looked over at Pam asking, "All better?"

She spared one more glare for her still snickering Maker before shooting it my way and replied with a succinct, "Yes."

I thought it would be pushing my luck to ask where my onion rings were, so instead I warmed up one of the meals the chef had prepared for me while the two of them went over their plans for the evening. From what I heard, everything would be revolving around the demon lawyer's appearance, but Pam's next words reminded me of another King's visit from the night before when she told Eric, "You were right about Compton. It seems the little prick was gathering data on every vampire he came across, cataloging what he knew of their history as well as who their Makers and children are, but buried underneath it all was a file on a little known redneck fairy princess."

"Me?" I asked incredulously. "What would he know about me?" My chest ached remembering my conversation – more like confrontation – with Jason, but I pushed it aside with Sam's words coming back to me. According to him, Jason had seen Bill Compton leaving Gran's house, but Gran had no memory of him at all, so it was likely she'd been glamoured.

I bristled inside just thinking she'd been subjected to something like that by someone like him, but Eric's snarl brought me out of it as he barked, "What was on it?"

Pam ignored him with her eyes on me and instead asked, "Do you know a Hadley Delahoussaye?"

Hadley? "She's my cousin. We haven't seen her in years though, not since she got addicted to drugs and ran away during her Junior year in high school. We all thought she was probably dead by now. Why?"

"Well, she's dead alright. Twice," Pam replied. I felt bad, but it wasn't like I hadn't expected it and honestly a part of me was still angry at her for not being there when Aunt Linda had to fight a losing battle with cancer. She died never knowing what happened to her only daughter, but I didn't understand what she meant by _twice_, so I asked, "Twice?"

"She was the favored pet turned vampire by none other than our former monarch. According to Compton's notes, your dear cousin used you and your ability for pillow talk and Sophie-Anne dispatched her procurer to go to Bon Temps and _procure_ you by any means necessary. It seems she felt he'd be perfect for the task since Hadley told her about your love of the film 'Gone with the Wind' and thought his southern accent and ghastly sideburns would be enough to sway you into his bed. Your cousin was ended by her jealous sibling only a few months ago."

My meal was long forgotten with my stomach turning over the thought of anyone trying to use me in such a way. Since Eric's mind was the only vampire one I could read – sporadically at best – I might not have known anything was amiss until it was too late. Eric didn't seem too pleased over the idea either and it was a good thing I was done eating because he snatched me into his arms while a low threatening growl vibrated through his chest, but it strangely made me feel better.

_If Bill Compton had any brains, he'd keep on running._

Eric was still seething inside, but he looked like his normal indifferent self as we made our way to his office. The demon lawyer was due to arrive any minute and even though Eric didn't think he meant me any harm, he was being extra cautious (and I could feel – extra possessive) and placed me in a chair at his side behind his desk. We'd barely gotten ourselves seated when my mind reached out to the presence on the other side of the door, but my overwhelming fear and anger was quicker than my mouth could form the words. Feeling me, Eric stood up – shielding my body with his own – and faced the door just in time for it to burst open with Niall striding through. Pam sped over and put herself in front of me too, but not before Niall's eyes met mine. He'd never looked so scary before and my fear was only made worse because I could still sense his emotions.

_He was completely outraged and from the looks of it, my vampire was the cause._

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**A/N: There's a lot going on this chapter, but it's a necessary evil.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just giving Sookie a few more bells and whistles.**

Chapter Fifteen

**EPOV**

_Fucking Sophie-Anne and her pathetic fucking pet!_

I hadn't been all that surprised when she'd turned her favorite pet considering how impetuous our former monarch could be, but I'd never seen the draw. From the little I had seen of her – unlike Pam – Hadley showed no outward signs she would make a worthy child. Then again, little did I know the disloyal bitch was telling tales and selling out one of her few remaining family members for the price of immortality.

_It served her right she didn't get to see the end of her second year as vampire._

She'd always seemed to be a worthless human being anyway, so what riled me the most was the fact my own queen had attempted to usurp my position as one of her loyal sheriffs by sending Compton into my area behind my back. Who knows what kind of clusterfuck I'd be dealing with had Niall not stolen Sookie away before he could get his hands on her. Had he succeeded in getting her to court while Louisiana was still under Sophie-Anne's rule – considering how Sookie had treated her Fae captors – I had no doubt Andre would have broken her, both figuratively and literally, and the thought of my lover being treated so ruthlessly tore at my insides.

_No one would ever lay a hand on her._

I fumed inside all the way to my office, while hoping Cataliades would be able to shed some light on what else we were up against, and had only barely been seated when I felt Sookie's fear. My instincts took over with me standing to shield her when Niall stormed into the room and seeing his angry face looming in front of my desk made my regret over not completing my bond with Sookie the night before only that much stronger. I couldn't decipher the undeniable feelings of affection she brought out in me – nor could I understand the overwhelming urge I had to permanently bond myself to the little Fae telepath, but my confusion did nothing to abate my compulsion. Finally being able to claim her body only made my yearning that much stronger and even now, with her irate kin snarling in front of us, my only thought was to lay waste to his body so I could claim hers over and over again on every available surface in my office.

_If his intention was to take her from me, it would be the likely outcome._

I watched his chest expand as he took in the scents of the room – his body literally vibrating with anger – when he roared out with his exhale, "YOU DARE TO CAPTURE ONE OF MY MOST TRUSTED GUARDS AND _FORCE_ YOURSELF ON _MY KIN_?"

Pam snarled at his false accusation while I too took in the air around me. Sookie's scent was ripe with my blood and cum – I'd gladly shower her in it for all of eternity if that's what it took to make my claim on her known, but seeing the fury in his eyes over the misguided notion I had raped his great-granddaughter, I knew he was beyond reason and wouldn't hear of any denials. I knew Sookie wanted answers from him and took a split second to send regret through our bond over what I was about to do, but seeing Niall reach for the sword at his back, I knew I had no choice but to defend us – potentially ending him in the process – and reached for my own.

_Only to find my limbs were frozen by his Fae magic._

I fought against his hold with all of my strength, but found I couldn't even twitch my fingers and feeling Pam's shock and horror told me she too was immobile as he taunted, "I am Prince of the Sky Fae. You think you can best _me_ vampire? I saved your life once under the false assumption you were an honorable being. I trusted you to protect my great-granddaughter and you repay me by stealing her innocence?" His arms rose up with his sword in hand as he ended with, "For that I will have your head."

My entire being was futilely fighting against his magic, I realized not to save my own life, but because I knew he would take Sookie back into the Fae realm. She didn't belong there – I knew at my core that she would whither – her fiery spirit would eventually be snuffed out until she was nothing but a mere shell of who she was now and I couldn't stand it.

_I would not stand for it._

_But there was nothing I could do to stop it._

Sookie's fear had only risen from the moment he'd walked in, filling our bond to the point I was almost certain it would find a way to become a physical manifestation and overflow into the room, but as his sword sliced through the air to carry out his threat, I felt something inside of her snap. I could still feel the bead of our tie informing me she lived, but our bond became silent just as a surge of power crackled in the air around us and I saw the bright white light emanating from behind me where I knew Sookie stood followed by her eerily calm voice as she uttered out a simple, "No."

Niall's face barely had the chance to register the surprise he felt when his sword came down and seemed to hit an invisible barrier surrounding me a second before he himself was hit with a blinding white light that propelled his body backwards into the wall behind him. My own body was unfrozen at the same time, but when I went to reach for the sword hanging on the wall behind me, I found I couldn't leave the barrier I couldn't see but knew to be there. Sookie didn't seem to be tethered by the strange magic and was able to move around both Pam and myself before I could register what she was doing, but my own shock seeing her entire being surrounded by a softly glowing brilliant white light made my own steps falter before I could try and stop her.

She moved until she stood in front of Niall who himself appeared immobile as she towered over him – as much as her short stature would allow – and said, "He is _mine_. You will not attempt to harm him or his child or _I_ will end _you_."

My own bloodlust rose up as my cock twitched hearing her threat while claiming me as her own and the power radiating from her was like nothing I'd ever felt before, but I still didn't like not being able to get to her. Instinctually I knew she was the source behind the invisible barrier and I ordered, "Sookie. Release me."

I could feel her life force still thrumming through me, but it was devoid of her emotions until her head turned and the steely gaze in her eyes softened the moment they met my own, with her warmth and affection and a hearty dose of relief flooding back to me as a small smile played on the corners of her lips. Seeing her like that – a perfect mixture of power and purity – had she given in to my demand at that moment, I would've likely torn the clothing from her body and taken her right there. Perhaps not realizing the danger her sense of propriety and outfit were in – or just ignoring it altogether – she smiled innocently and said, "Promise me you won't hurt him."

My lust took a backseat as I incredulously asked, "What?" My voice rose as I said, "You want me to ignore the fact he was going to steal you away?"

_Never mind the fact he was going to end me and Pam to get to her. It was a foregone conclusion he would've snatched her away as soon as I was a puddle on the floor. For that alone he should be ended as I already had the feeling it would be impossible for me to go on without her anyway and I had no plans to test my theory._

I had no doubt the moment Niall could move he would try his luck again, but Sookie shook her head making me question if her response was to my spoken words or my thoughts when her reply answered my wonderment as she said, "He won't. He was operating under the misbelief our…_joining_ wasn't consensual, but he'll behave now." She must have known, there was no way she couldn't know – couldn't _feel _– the otherworldly aura that now surrounded her. Her domination over us all was absolute and yet the human side of the small town girl I knew I could no longer live without showed me she was still there, just underneath the surface, when her human nature peeked through as her cheeks tinged red with a blush at the word _joining_, but she was nothing if not steadfast when she turned back to Niall, saying, "I'll admit I've acted foolishly in the past and I thank you for your concern over my wellbeing, but I don't know you. I'm starting to believe we're related in some way because I can't imagine you'd go through all of this trouble if we weren't, but I don't _trust_ you fully, however I can feel your intentions – while mistaken – were well meaning. But make no mistake, if I feel a single iota of hostility from you directed at _my vampire_ or his child, I won't hesitate to defend them."

I could feel the shift in the current of the air in the room and Niall's eyes grew wide as he seemed to be unable to breathe for a moment and once again, I knew Sookie was the source. How my lover was able to manifest all of these powers – literally out of thin air – was beyond me, but I felt my tension release somewhat feeling better that she was able to defend herself should the need arise.

_And rather than care where they came from, I felt the overwhelming need to spend the remainder of the night fucking her in celebration._

Her own lust shot back to me – I assumed feeling mine – and a low growl rumbled through my chest, but I tempered my urges and forced myself to calm, saying only, "Release me and I will not act without provocation."

_But if he so much as hinted at taking Sookie from me I wouldn't hesitate to land a fatal blow._

She looked back at me – undoubtedly scrutinizing our bond – and perhaps sensing my need to have her within arm's reach she moved to within the barrier before letting it drop away. Niall, it seemed, was released at the same time and I kept one eye on him while I crushed her to me, taking her lips with my own. It was yet even more proof that she would likely be the death of me because all I felt was an insatiable need for her when I should have been keeping my guard up with the enemy in the room.

I forced myself to release her and put myself in between her and Niall even though she'd proven capable of handling him on her own. The tension in the room was stifling as we stared each other down when Pam's voice broke into the silence, purring, "Sookie, my little friend, you are a medical marvel. Not only are you Vamprin, but you're Vampagra as well. Your little stunt has given me an unprecedented stiffy." The unease ratcheted down a notch with Sookie's snort, but I shot Pam a warning look to which she replied, "What? You think _you're_ the only one she makes hard? There's a Fae shapeshitter in the dungeons I could call as my first witness if you'd like."

My child had a way of getting me back on track in the most unorthodox of ways – a gift and a curse all rolled into one – and I turned to face Niall, demanding, "What is Preston's purpose? Did you send him?"

He didn't seem to hear my question because all he could do was look back and forth between Sookie and me. Her arm was wrapped around me from behind with my own hand resting on top of hers and I didn't have to be telepathic to know what he was thinking. My actions were wholly unconventional because vampire weren't ones for physical contact unless fucking, fighting, or feeding was involved. He would probably be less shocked had I sprouted wings and shit a rainbow, but it made no difference. While there were levels of enjoyment to be had with physical contact with Sookie, _any_ physical contact with her was gratifying and too much had happened in too short of a time for me to deny myself of it now.

However we weren't sideshow freaks to be gawked at and I was about to repeat my question when his chin tilted towards the door at the same time I felt Sookie stiffen, but before I could discern why, Niall said, "Your demon lawyer is here. I don't believe him to be a threat to Sookie, but be prepared regardless. I will return later," and before I could utter another word he was gone.

_Fucking fairies._

While we still had a few moments, turning to face Sookie, I asked, "Lover, how did you do all of that?"

Had she been able to do those things all along, Niall would have never been able to abduct her, much less keep her, for so long, but all she did was shrug and say, "Beats me. One minute I'm freaking the hell out that he was going to kill you and in the next it felt like something shifted inside of me. Like two pieces of a puzzle that were always there were finally connected and I knew I could stop him." Her earlier worry was starting to come back, so I pushed calm through our bond as she asked, "What do you think it means?"

I had no answers to give her, but our time had run out anyway when Desmond Cataliades appeared in the doorway. For as long as I'd known him he'd always been stout – robust in both health and personality, so it wasn't difficult to see he'd suffered greatly as of late. In his trademark black suit it was apparent he'd lost weight – too much to appear healthy – and it only exacerbated his weakened state while he shuffled forward with the use of a cane wincing in pain with every step, but where the greatest sign of his infirmity lay was in his eyes.

No matter the occasion – be it formalizing a political alliance or finalizing a mundane land deal – his formidable strength was always in his eyes. Of course that didn't mean he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. He was mostly demon after all and I'd witnessed him in action myself on the night of Sophie-Anne's wedding reception when her new husband attempted to overthrow the state when she couldn't produce one of the bracelet's he'd gifted her. It was a bullshit excuse for what he'd been planning to do all along and when his second Jade Flower had somehow managed to get the upper hand on Gladiola in the ensuing battle, Cataliades himself had ended her before she could land the fatal blow.

There was no question he was savvy above and beyond everyone else in his field – his mind worked in ways that left those who opposed him in any court dizzy – and while he was confident, he was not conceited. His arrogance only came through when arguing the merits of his case with his genuinely jovial disposition at the forefront in every other situation. He ingratiated himself with his supernatural clients – a difficult task to be sure – with his sincerity and savior-faire instead of the ass kissing we'd all come to loathe.

_Well, those of us who had the sense to not get swept up by the bullshit anyway._

His beloved nieces Diantha and Gladiola were trailing behind him, each with their bodies tense with anticipation of defending their uncle from a surprise attack, but I knew from their stances it wasn't me they were worried about.

_And it only worried me more._

Niall's fuckery was forgotten for now as I held my hand up halting his attempt to bow as he greeted, "Your majesty."

I gestured for him to take a seat and Diantha swept into the room to move a chair closer to where he stood so he wouldn't have to travel any farther than necessary. Had he been human, I was sure there would be sweat pouring from his brow just from the effort of coming into the room, but he smiled at her gratefully and gently lowered himself, offering, "I apologize for not contacting you sooner your majesty."

I nodded in deference to his statement, but really, he wasn't obligated to report his comings and goings to me. He'd been under contract to Sophie-Anne and as the reigning monarch, only through her by proxy to the state. I would've needed to negotiate my own contract with him once I assumed the mantle as king and was just grateful that he'd chosen to reveal himself to me instead of someone like de Castro.

He nodded to Diantha who then left the room, shutting the door behind her, and looked over at Sookie who was now seated at my side. As a supernatural himself I was sure he could smell me all over her and because he was still under the assumption she was my Royal Courtesan, he deferred to me, asking, "May I speak freely?" At my nod, he smiled with some of the mirth that had missing from his gaze just seconds earlier and said, "My dear, you've grown into a beautiful young woman. So much like your grandmother Adele."

A jolt of shock ran through our bond – likely from each of us – as Sookie asked, "You knew my Gran?"

His smile grew wider as he replied, "Yes and your grandfather as well. He was one of my closest friends for a great many years up until his death."

"Fintan," she stated, realizing he was speaking of her biological grandfather, and I could feel the sadness run through her. I knew she didn't want to think of her grandmother cheating on her husband, but absent any evidence proving otherwise it was the only scenario we had to go on.

He nodded again with his eyes looking back to me, explaining, "In a way, it was my fault he was killed. Fintan and I were very close and he'd told me when he'd fallen in love with Adele. As I've said, I'd known him for a great many years and I knew love was something he had wanted, but it had eluded him for a long time, so I was happy when he'd finally found it. Her husband was unable to give her children due to a childhood illness that had left him sterile, but they'd both wanted them badly and Fintan loved her enough to want to give them to her even though he knew she would never leave her husband to be with him. Once they'd agreed on their chosen path I offered them what I thought at the time was a gift." His eyes looked knowingly to Sookie as he added, "A thimble full of my blood for each of them and any child born from their line who had the essential spark of the Fae would have the gift of being able to read human minds as I can."

Sookie gasped out loud and my own internal shock was there as well, but anger boiled through her even as she politely corrected, "More like a _curse _than a gift." At his bewildering look, she asked, "Did it never occur to _any_ of you what that would be like for a child? Did none of you _think_ how awful that _gift_ would be without any direction or guidance from anyone who understood it? Or hell…who would even _believe it_?"

Even as he opened his mouth to respond, words seemed to have failed him in that moment because he closed it again without a single utterance, but recalling her taking me to task over my jealous thoughts of her and other men, as well as the darker thoughts over what she must have heard from her monster of a great-uncle, made me realize what a nightmare her life must have been before she was able to learn on her own how to manage her telepathy.

_It gave a much deeper meaning to the trite thoughts I'd had of my own child less than thirty minutes earlier of having a gift and a curse all rolled into one._

It was more proof that my lover was stronger than anyone could've guessed and unlike the chastised demon in front of us, she was not left without words because she asked, "Why should I believe you? I never heard anything from my Gran's thoughts about you or Fintan. Even when we talked about my _disability_ she never once thought about fairies or demons."

I was interested in his answer as well and focused on him as he simply said, "Magic. I've checked on each of their descendants not long after their births, but you were the only one to have been born with the essential spark and therefore gifted with telepathy. Your grandfather used his magic to shield your grandmother's thoughts about the nature of her children's conception and any supernatural connection to them."

Sookie internally harrumphed but stayed silent and while I found it all fascinating, it told me nothing of why she was in danger, so I stated, "Your note spoke of Sookie being in _grave danger_."

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair looking sorrowful and said, "Yes and I'm afraid that is my fault as well." Focusing on Sookie, he explained, "You see – fairies, demons, brownies, elves, angels, and trolls are all loosely related to one another however we aren't necessarily able to go into each other's realms. Elves may go into the Fae realm and trolls can enter the Demon world, but the two most powerful of the species – fairies and demons – may not crossover into the other's world. There are stories on both sides as to why this shift happened many millennia ago, but it was not always like that. At our start, we all resided together in what is now solely the Fae realm and where there was once a time when procreation was possible between the two, our own genetic compositions were changed when the demons were cast out so that it could never be possible again and all fairy-demon hybrids were executed. Tensions between us eventually eased over time and we are able to coexist in the human world fairly peacefully – some even rarely forging friendships like Fintan and I, but there are some of my kind who still believe we were unjustly ousted from our rightful place in what is now exclusively the Fae realm and wish to return. However for that to occur there would need to be an intermediary. Someone born of _both_ Fae and demon blood and has the essential spark could travel between both worlds unhindered."

The beast inside of me stirred his chains while my mind worked through the ramifications of what we'd been told. As far as I knew, the powers Sookie had manifested only came about tonight, so I knew I was missing some vital piece of information as to why they would want or need her when Sookie asked, "But why? What would me being able to go into Never Never Land do for them?"

He seemed to steel himself before he calmly answered, "I can tell that you have exchanged blood with his majesty, twice if I'm not mistaken, so I take it you are aware of blood bonds?" She nodded in reply, so he continued on with, "Before the last of the hybrids were killed, _they_ were able to freely enter both worlds and if they had a child with a demon, so long as that child was alive, the bond of blood with the demon parent could gain them entry as well. If a powerful enough demon were able to get into the Fae realm, they could undo the magic that keeps us out, all but ensuring a war the likes of which we have never seen. And since we all can freely enter _this world_, guess where the battle will take place."

A low threatening growl rumbled through my chest over the thought of them wanting to use _my lover_ as a brood mare, but they would never get the chance. He was right about where the battle would be held and while the Weres were talking of revealing themselves soon, humans knew nothing of the existence of other supernaturals. Both fairies and demons were equally vicious and while the rest of us could try and remain on the sidelines, it would be trouble for us all if they intended to wage a war in the only world _we_ could exist in. It would be impossible to cover up now when there were twenty-four hour news channels and smartphones to upload videoed evidence within seconds to fucking YouTube. The nightmare would be unending and in the fallout the humans would turn on the one supernatural they _knew_ to exist.

Vampire.

"It was all just folklore," he said quietly. "Stories told to children. I thought I was giving my friend a gift and never once did I think I would be the catalyst for the apocalypse because – make no mistake – there will be no winners if this comes to fruition. When it was discovered Fintan's descendants had been gifted with demon blood, he was killed by the faction wanting back into Faery and his magical barrier that warded your home was extinguished. It wasn't long after that, that you were discovered by my kind. There were whispers by some that you should be taken immediately in order to help facilitate our way back into the Fae realm, while others insisted things should remain as they are and you should be removed from the equation altogether. I am sorry my dear, but I'm afraid you can't trust any of my kind."

"But I can trust you," Sookie said unquestioningly which made me wonder if she'd gleaned it from his thoughts.

"You can," he agreed. "But I'm afraid I can't stay. I too am being pursued, I believe by beings under the direction of some of the Fae, so I must return to where I am safest while I continue to heal."

He began to hoist himself up to his feet, but before he could turn for the door, I asked, "Who? Who is it that leads the ones intent on _taking_ what is mine?"

_Raping her_ is what they were intent on doing, but I could barely restrain myself just thinking it and knew speaking the words aloud would be my undoing.

The door opened to reveal Diantha on the other side – probably having heard her uncle's faltering steps – and shame colored his face as he turned to face us once more, sighing, "Nargal. My half-brother."

My arm reached to grab the hilt of my sword behind me as I stood and brought it down in front of me while shoving Sookie behind my body while asking, "Is he not the father of your nieces?"

I was almost certain he was, but I'd never had reason to keep up with the demon's family tree. Gladiola appeared in the doorway as well, but none of them took a defensive stance at my maneuvering and he replied, "Yes, but my brother's parenting ended with their conception. I am the one who was a father to them and I am the one they are loyal to, but if you are not comfortable with their presence, I will find another way to communicate with you in the future. I am no longer privy to my brother's dealings, but if I learn of anything new to do with Miss Stackhouse, I will inform you immediately."

I didn't acknowledge his words because I wasn't sure if I could trust any demon in Sookie's presence – even him, but they didn't seem to be waiting for a response when the three of them departed without another word. Pam – as unruffled as ever – merely looked back at us, saying, "Well things certainly aren't boring with you around my little friend. Are you expecting any more guests for this evening's supernatural performance of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

I wasn't in the mood for her flippancy and ordered, "See them out," with my look adding, _'Have them followed.'_

The door had barely shut behind her when I turned to face Sookie, not sure about anything but the fact I'd likely kill anyone at the moment who even attempted to look at her. My inner beast howled with a blind possessive rage over the thought of anyone – fairy or demon – trying to take her from me and I was so busy trying to get my own emotions under control so I could strategize that I must've missed what she was feeling in that moment because I was blindsided when she attacked me.

_Hands, lips, teeth and tongue. It was a full on frontal assault._

_And I was all too willing opponent._

She'd managed to hoist herself up my body with the use of her arms and legs, but my hands found purchase on her ass to hold her against me as we ground our hips against one another. I knew there were so many things we had to talk about – we had so many things coming at us from all sides, but all I needed in that moment was to be connected to her. My lover had already bewitched me long before that night, but now that I knew the paradise that could be found between her legs, I couldn't get back there fast enough.

With the last of my rationality, I resolved to speak with her later about completing our bond, but I wanted us both to be clear headed when that conversation took place. I also wanted the privacy of my chambers and uninterrupted time in which to do it – if she agreed – because a frenzied fast fuck in my office wasn't ideal for something of that magnitude.

_But a frenzied fast fuck in my office was perfect for right now._

The feel of her tongue stroking against my descended fang only served to remind me of our explorations the night before and how gifted her mouth truly was, but a repeat performance would have to wait. Now we were both too far gone in our need for one another and I set her down on my desk while we frantically started pulling at each other's clothes when there was a sharp rap on the door, ripping a threatening growl from my chest, but my warning went unheeded and the door opened with an unmistakable voice chuckling, "Is this a bad time your majesty?"

I could feel Sookie's annoyance and frustration over the disruption as well as her embarrassment over our compromising position, so I quickly set her to rights before moving to the front of my desk – wondering what the fuck else was about to go wrong – and bowed before the Ancient Pythoness, greeting, "Your Grace."

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**A/N: *dusts off cobwebs* I apologize for the lack of updates on this fic as of late, but my muse has been off gallivanting with many a different Eric. I know it's been forever, but a recap thus far is in Chapter Fourteen, so you might want to skim that again before reading this. After that Eric and Sookie have some Eric/Sookie nookie and then Niall shows up but Sookie goes Fairy postal on him. Mr. Cataliades wanders in after the ruckus and tells Sookie she's basically the fairy/demon key to world domination and then the AP shows up, because all of _that_ wasn't enough. There's even more going on now, but some answers come with it and there's more info on my other stories and their lack of updates below.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all and I envy her ability to update at least once a year. -_-**

Chapter Sixteen

**SPOV**

Pam may have thought my presence and the trouble that seemed to follow me as of late was a hoot, but I would've liked nothing more than to have just one boring night. It was ironic considering how humdrum my life had been up until I'd been thrust into the Supernatural world and I knew I should be freaking out. Any _normal_ person would, but I think it was safe to say that I was anything _but _normal. Telepathy had been my only curse and since it had made my life hell growing up, it seemed to only make sense that I had it thanks to a demon. And like finding out I was some sort of fairy-demon realm EZ pass wasn't bad enough, I also seemed to have suddenly acquired some sort of magical fairy great-grandfather whoopin' powers.

_What could we expect next? Would an owl be flying into the room any moment with my invitation to some Hogwarts-type school?_

But to me the weirdest thing of all – which was saying a lot considering the last couple of hours – was my reaction to it all. Instead of freaking out, which was warranted in my humble opinion, all I could think about was getting as close to Eric as possible. My blood literally burned for him and I knew the only way to put out the fire was to throw out everything I'd ever been taught about being a 'good girl' and have my wicked way with him, but it was more than just lust, passion or need…

_It was instinctual._

Like blinking or breathing, it was an irrepressible reflex that I could barely control, but as soon as the door was shut behind Pam I couldn't hold back any longer and literally threw myself at Eric. A very small part of my mind questioned if it had to do with our bond – if my reaction was based on Eric's feelings, but when I tried to scrutinize our tie I could only feel his surprise at my actions.

_And then his overwhelming willingness to give me what I was silently asking for._

I'd only just handed over my V-card earlier that night, but I figured I had a good ten years to make up for considering the age of most girls when they lost their virginity and instead of questioning any of it, I just let myself go. My need for him was all-consuming and I didn't care about fairies or demons or anything else. I just needed Eric.

_And he really needed a lock on his office door._

I barely stifled the whine that threatened to leave my throat hearing our uninvited guest, but my shock at seeing Eric respectfully fall to his knees before the ancient woman in front of him and saying, "Your Grace," was enough to make me choke it back. Eric was a _king_ and yet he was bowed down, so it only made me more nervous wondering who she might be. I didn't think it had anything to do with her being Queen of the Damned (or whatever other cockamamie horse pucky could be thrown at us), but remembering how Eric didn't give a hoot about Niall's royal status only made his demeanor towards her all the more troubling.

"Rise, my king," she said commandingly, but feeling his pure and utter shock at her words as he stood up only gave me more of a reason to feel worried.

_If Eric was shocked, it didn't bode well._

"Your Grace?" he repeated uncertainly.

"You heard me vampire," she gently chided before moving to take a seat on the couch. Neither Eric nor I moved a muscle as we watched her slowly lower herself onto the leather cushion, so we were both still rapt with attention when she looked up at us with milky white eyes and smiled, softly nodding her head as she all but whispered, "Yes. Things are progressing nicely."

"Your Grace?"

Eric's head seemed stuck on repeat, but she must have thought so too because she chuckled, "Is that all you can say vampire?"

It was enough to snap him out of it in order to hesitantly say, "Forgive me, your Grace. I mean no offense, but why are you here?"

I wasn't sure how, but somehow I knew she was looking at me when she confirmed it by saying, "I am here because your great-grandfather is…what do you call it? A _hothead_."

_More evidence we were related. Not her calling him my great-grandfather, but because he was a hothead too. It must run in the family._

"The prince means to take her back to Faery," Eric snarled. "I will not let that happen."

Like he'd been eavesdropping the whole time, Niall did his poofy thing back into the room and snarled back, as though he'd been present for the entire conversation, "She is _my_ kin."

My hands tingled hearing him be nasty with Eric, but '_Grace's?_' chuckling snapped me out of it when she laughed, "She's so like _you_ Niall," and then turned to Eric, saying, "Introduce me to your Queen."

_Queen? I still refused the idea of being a princess and she was calling me 'queen'? _

I nonchalantly checked the top of my head to make sure I wasn't wearing Pam's Burger King crown while Eric came to my side, looking just as confused, saying, "Your Grace, may I introduce my…my…Sookie." His head turned ever so slightly in Niall's direction when he added, "Sookie _Stackhouse_."

_Darn tootin'!_

I held back the urge to stick my tongue out at him and I almost choked on it instead when Eric turned to me and said, "Sookie. This is the Ancient Pythoness. She was the Oracle of Delphi who counseled Alexander the Great."

_Oracle?_

_Was she going to offer me a freshly made chocolate chip cookie and teach me to bend spoons with my mind too?_

I'd seen one too many Matrix movies with Jason and had one too many shocks for the evening to think straight, but Gran's training kicked in on autopilot with me nodding with a smile and greeting, "Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I could feel Eric's pleasure at my words and they warmed my insides – my insides that were churning since it seemed like a big frickin' deal she was there – and I was on the verge of going into 'hostess mode' and offer her a drink when Niall butted in by looking at her and accusing, "You knew!"

"No," she answered with a smile. "While it's true I see _possibilities_, the future is an ever growing constantly weaving tapestry. Some portions of the strands of fate and destiny are absolute while others are not, but they are also flexible so that any small change can alter their course. At the time I saw only one outcome of their future – one that would have led them to one another but in a very different way. One that would have made them distrustful of their feelings and of each another and it would have set them on a path where they would have destroyed their future and therefore ours as well. That course would have come to pass if it were not for a certain _hotheaded _Prince of the Sky Fae."

I could feel Eric's need to interrupt and ask what in the hell they were talking about – it almost surpassed my own need for the very same thing, but his hesitance to do so tamped down my own urge and we silently stood there like two children waiting for the grownups to acknowledge us.

"They are nearly _bonded_," he growled. "And you're saying this is _my fault_? You came to me and told me my great-granddaughter was in danger of being taken advantage of by a vampire – a vampire who could not be trusted and who would hurt and betray her. One who would _use her_ – _rape her_ – and _break her spirit_ and yet that is _exactly_ what has happened! Had I known it was due to my own actions by trusting this one," he gestured towards Eric, "I would've kept her in Faery forever!"

_Betray me? Rape me? Eric would never do anything like that!_

Eric must have been thinking along the same lines because I could feel his white hot denial while his hand reached for mine, but the comfort of his touch only lasted until my heart stuttered thinking she was confirming it as we heard her say, "Yes, it is because of your actions that has led them here to this point in time, but it is _thanks to_ _your actions_ that the future of our races now have a fighting chance at survival. Young Eric was not the vampire meant to betray your great-granddaughter, but they _are _fated. They were created for one another and they would have found each other regardless of any interference by you or I. Their bond would have occurred no matter what. We have only altered the manner in which their bond was started and how it will be completed."

"Your Grace?" Eric repeated for the fourth time that night, unable to stay silent any longer. "We are…_fated_?"

"You are," she smiled. "And I would've left you to complete it on your own had the hotheaded prince not shown up tonight, but I'm afraid it would've ended badly when he returned and attempted to take his great-granddaughter from you. His death would've altered the course of things to come."

Eric tauntingly smiled down at him while Niall fumed, "I cannot be bested by _a vampire_, even one as old as he!"

She only chuckled at his denial, saying, "I never said it would be the vampire who would end you."

All eyes slowly turned to me, but considering my reaction the first time Niall tried to hurt Eric, I couldn't deny it.

I _would_ kill him to protect Eric.

"But we are not bonded, your Grace. We haven't even discussed the possibility," Eric explained, while I felt him rapidly trying to work out the puzzle pieces in his head. His mind was so busy it was enough to make _me_ dizzy.

"Not yet, but you will be," she offered, still smiling. "Had I not gone to the prince when I did, you would've met your queen sooner. Your bond would've already been formed by now, but the circumstances in bringing about that bond would've been detrimental to our future. Each exchange would've happened in response to violence and betrayal. It would've been completed by force and neither of you would've had any choice. Both of you would've questioned your feelings for one another and ultimately it would've destroyed what was always meant to be.

_This way_ your queen has come to you with an unscarred heart. The blood you have shared has been given and taken in trust and in passion. You were always meant to protect her as she was always meant to be yours. You each have felt things for one another you cannot explain because you are two halves of the same whole. She has always been a part of you and you a part of her. In fact, she would've been able to enter your chambers with or without your blood. It is how the shapeshifter was able to gain entry – even misinformed of his true nature it was her desire to have the cat with her that allowed him in."

"But if we are fated, then how is a permanent bond _our_ choice? You say it as though its finalization is unchangeable," Eric argued. Considering I had already decided I'd wanted to permanently bond myself to Eric, his argument probably would've hurt my feelings if I hadn't been thinking the same exact thing. Having a choice seemed to be the theme of what she was telling us, but if we believed we were _fated_ then _was there ever_ a choice?

_I couldn't deny, fate or not, he was the man I'd fallen in love with and his actions – his words – were what made me feel that way, so he would've been my choice regardless, but maybe now Eric would feel forced?_

My heart sunk at the thought while she chided, "You are trying to apply logic to something that cannot be explained. What will be, _will_ be."

Eric didn't look any more accepting of her words, so she said, "Tell me vampire, why do you think you ended up at a burned down farmhouse you'd never been to when you had no memory of who you were?" When Eric had no reply, she answered, "It was because your soul was instinctually searching out its other half."

After everything I'd seen and heard since Niall had first taken me, _this_ almost seemed like more mumbo jumbo than I could handle and considering I'd just been told I could end up the Baby Mama of an Antichrist of sorts told volumes. I'd officially reached my limit on Supernatural weirdness and needed a timeout before my head exploded. I don't know why this of all things struck a chord, but I was brought up to believe that our fate was in our own hands, we made our own destiny – ironically enough – by the choices we made.

_Everything she was telling us all sounded like a bunch of hooey to me._

Eric's look mirrored my own which said he was thinking the same thing and she shook her head at us both, mumbling, "In all of the realms there is no substance as hard as your two heads," and then tried another tactic by asking him a different question.

"Tell me, when did you first come to Louisiana?"

He looked back at her clearly confused by her question, but respectfully answered, "Roughly fifty-three years ago."

"And tell me, why is it a man born on the frozen shores of the Northern Sea chose to settle in the hot and humid uninspiring land of Northern Louisiana?"

_I was drawn here._

I heard Eric's thought as clear as day, but all he would admit to was, "It just felt…right."

Her all-knowing milky white eyes turned to me as she asked, "Tell me young one, how old would your father be now if he was still living?"

Not understanding what she was getting at, I quickly did the math in my head and softly answered, "Fifty-two?"

"So," she smiled at the both of us, "Do you think it a coincidence Eric chose to settle in an area he would otherwise detest, unknowingly putting himself in the right place to meet you, at the same exact time your grandmother would've been given the demon's blood, therefore ensuring _you_ would be born?"

My shoulders shrugged of their own accord – a coincidence was called that for a reason, but really it made no difference to me why Eric ended up in Louisiana. Lord knew weirder things had been known to happen – to _me_ especially, but hearing the reminder of everything Mr. Cataliades had told us, I ignored her question and asked, "Do you know how come I can do that thing that stopped Niall from hurting Eric earlier? Mr. C only said I got the telepathy from him, but now I can shoot a weird light from my hands and…stuff."

If I'd had those freaky powers all along, then Niall never would've been able to kidnap me in the first place, but it was him who answered, "I believe that might be _my_ doing. The powers you exhibited earlier are of the Brigant line and I suspect that by taking you into the Fae realm, your essential spark was able to strengthen and mature in its natural environment. I could feel your spark growing stronger each day." He smiled proudly at me and added, "You did very well."

I doubted he felt so proud when I'd pulled the air from his lungs, but she nodded her head in agreement and chuckled to him, "You were so quick to act with your heart instead of your head, wanting to spare your great-granddaughter the hurt she would otherwise face, and yet it was her identical passionate response that made her scorn you for your actions."

I didn't want to feel bad for him – I didn't want to feel guilty for what I had thought was a justifiable response at the time, but hearing her say it like that made me feel it anyway. Instead of acknowledging it just yet, I wanted to get one thing clear first.

"Would my Gran have died if I hadn't been taken?"

It was something I would never forgive Niall for if that was the case, no matter how good his intentions had been, but she nodded her head and answered, "It was always your grandmother's fate to die at the hands of another."

"Who did it?" I practically screeched, but Eric squeezed my hand making me realize yelling at this woman – vampire – oracle – whatever, probably wasn't in our best interests.

"I have told you enough," she said, ignoring my outburst. "Some things you are meant to learn on your own in due time. Having too much knowledge can alter what is to come and as things are now, you know enough for a favorable outcome."

Eric didn't seem to like her answer any more than I did because he asked, "What is our destiny? If we are fated, then it must be for a reason."

"To save us all," she replied ominously.

_Gee, no pressure there._

Both of us were gearing up to argue with her, but she held up her hand and said sternly, "As I said before, the tapestry is made up of many different strands. Some strands sway in a breeze waiting to be woven into the one it is meant for when its path has been decided, but they will break off and fall away if that path was not chosen. Other strands are absolute – your fated connection to one another has always been one of them, but that doesn't mean there aren't different threads waiting to latch on and weave a different tale of your lives. The thread for your bond is waiting to be woven, but that can also be said of the demon Nargal's. His plans for young Sookie are swaying in the breeze, just waiting for the path that is needed. Her fate was decided before she was ever conceived, so she would have always been an integral part of the coming war. Had Niall not interfered and his thread left untouched, your ill-formed bond would have been broken by Sookie herself because she would not have trusted her feelings were her own. And you Eric, you are as proud as you are obstinate and would've never admitted your hurt over her actions. Without your bond she would've been left vulnerable and eventually forced to bond with another. The demons have used the in-fighting amongst the Fae to go undetected thus far, but make no mistake – they will move on her soon. Already her magic has grown thanks to her time in Faery and your blood has only strengthened it. Without it she would've posed no threat because her own magic would not be enough to get her into the demon realm, but that is no longer the case. There are demons who would've ended her already, but your lawyer didn't have all of the facts. Nargal needs Sookie to be bonded to a vampire – _any _vampire – in order to fulfill all that he envisages. Vampire blood alone would not be enough – it is the magic that can only be found in a blood bond that is needed, when added in conjunction with the bond innately formed between mother and child – a child sired by Nargal if he succeeds – that would allow all within those bonds to freely enter and exit the realms at will."

"Then we won't bond!" Eric snarled, but my heart nearly broke in two not just hearing it in his voice, but feeling the conviction within him.

_He'd made his choice._

"Then she will be forced to bond with another," she offered, nonplussed.

Eric released my hand and started pacing furiously in front of his desk. His mind felt like a tornado when I ended up having to block his emotions for my own sanity, when his feet suddenly stopped moving as he turned to ask her, "What if Niall takes Sookie back to Faery? She will be safe there?"

_No!_

Eric wasn't the only one who had a choice or a say so and I'd be damned before I let Niall take me back to his fairy prison. And now, thanks to him, I could stop him from doing it.

"Her unique ability works both ways," she replied. "Once she is bonded to a vampire, if she were to mate with a fairy, that fairy and their children would be able to enter the demon realm and there are those in Faery who know this. Those who feel all Fae would be better off if there were no demons left anywhere and they would find her – force her to bond with a vampire of their choosing and breed with her at will. Niall isn't the only fairy with a vampire to call on. The war the demon spoke of is absolute. It will come about either way."

"No!" Eric roared. "If I keep her safe…away from _everyone_…"

He trailed off seeing her shake her head at him, but all she said as she slowly stood and moved towards the door was, "Your bond will keep her safe, but you have some time to come to terms with this, vampire. The enemy is not at your gates…yet, but like Niall can now attest to, you can't change destiny."

She left without another word while the three of us were left to silently ponder everything we'd just heard. Well…maybe _they_ were pondering, but honestly it was all too much for me to process at the moment. Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours and she said we had time, so I didn't want to think about it right now. From the sounds of everything we'd been told, nothing we did would change anything anyway and quite honestly, I'd be happy to curl up around a gallon of ice cream and a bottle of gin right about then, but doubted I'd get the chance.

Niall broke the lingering silence by saying, "I must go now. In light of Pythia's warnings, plans must be made. I will be in touch vampire, but in the meantime you will keep my great-granddaughter safe."

He poofed from the room before either one of us could say a thing, but when I turned to Eric – about to complain about my great-grandfather's ungracious exit even if he seemed to have changed his tune – I held my tongue seeing the look on his face.

_He was…nothing._

"Eric?" I asked feeling afraid. I'd seen him locked down before but this was nothing like that. I'd liken him to a statue, only statues seemed livelier. I only became more frightened when I opened myself up to try and read his emotions.

_My efforts were met with more 'nothing'._

He didn't answer me – would barely look at me – and Pam appeared at the doorway moments later, apparently having been called by her Maker because she was annoyed as she whined, "What? I was _feeding_. You're not the only one with busty blonds at your disposal, you know."

He must have been blocking her too because she jumped in shock when he bared his fangs at her and hissed, "Stay with her." He was halfway out of the room before he turned and added, "I command you to never form a blood bond with Sookie."

_Good lord…really?_

"Why would I?" she yelled after him as he sped from the room and then turned to me asking, "What in the hell happened?"

_Where to start?_

After a quick detour for some ice cream and gin, we went to Eric's chambers where I proceeded to eat my weight in mint chocolate chip while telling Pam everything I could remember. An hour and several '_bullshits_' and '_quit fucking with me's_' later and she was all caught up.

"So what do you think will happen now?" I asked her while scraping the last of the ice cream from the carton.

_When Eric had said we'd be too busy doing other things to move my clothes into his room, this wasn't what I had in mind._

"You bond with Eric," she replied, both sounding and looking at me like I was an idiot.

My eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall, so I took a healthy swig of the gin I'd been ignoring in favor of ice cream so my throat would burn instead and said, "He doesn't want to."

"Bullshit," she snapped for the umpteenth time and then added in a softer tone, "By the way, _that_ 'bullshit' was a statement of fact, not an incredulous denial like the other fifty times I've used it tonight."

"He already said as much," I mumbled, ignoring her numerous 'bullshits' and dropping the spoon into the empty container.

"No," she denied. "He said he _wouldn't_ bond, not that he didn't _want_ to. Trust me, he _wants_ to. He's just going to be a stubborn ass about it because he thinks by not doing it it's the only way to keep you safe."

"And you don't agree with him?" I asked, not really all that surprised since Pam didn't pander to anyone, Eric included.

"Sookie, the Ancient Pythoness doesn't go around punking vampire for kicks. She's the Supernatural equivalent of E.F. Hutton. When _she_ talks, _we_ listen. If it wasn't for her telling Eric to get us out of Rhodes when she did, we would've been at the bottom of the hotel's rubble the next morning. He's only the king now because she told him he had to be and if she's saying our only hope is for the two of you to bond and fight Nargal and whoever the fuck else, then that is what needs to happen. Eric is panicking – I can feel it – because he knows what she's told you is going to happen and there's no way he can stop any of it, but he's pigheaded enough to want to try. Now the question I have for you is do you want to bond with him?"

I was still blocking myself from feeling Eric on the off-chance he'd let me in again because I wouldn't be able to handle any more than what I was already dealing with, so if he was panicking, it was news to me. When all I did was nod in response to her question, she admonished, "Say it Sookie."

I ignored her bossy ways and sniffled, "But what if he feels like he's being forced, like when he had to become king? I don't want him… His bond… Not that way."

Miss Bossy Pants replied, "We're not discussing _Eric_ right now. We're discussing _you_. Do you want to bond with him?"

"Yes," I croaked out trying to hold back the tears that wanted to come with it. It wasn't something I'd wanted for very long, but the thought of Eric not wanting to – not wanting me – threatened to send me off the deep end.

"Why?" she asked.

When I didn't respond, she inquired, "Is it because you're afraid of what will happen otherwise? That you'll be left unprotected and forced against your will to bond with another vampire? Not _me_ of course, Eric's already seen to _that_. Or is it because you think you have to bond with him because of what you were told?"

I shook my head no to all of it, so in true Pam fashion she literally poked me in the arm with her perfectly manicured fingernail and said, "Say it!"

I ignored her for as long as my pain threshold would allow when I finally yelled, "Oww! And no, alright? NO!" letting my frustration over every goddamn thing come through. The night had started with so much promise. How in the hell did I go from giving my virginity away to the man I was falling in love with – from feeling so happy – to this…this…what in the hell was this?

A Supernatural pity party?

"THEN WHY?" Miss Pushy Pants yelled while pushing her fingernails back into my arm.

"I WANT TO BOND WITH HIM BECAUSE _I LOVE HIM_, YOU RELENTLESS BITCH! OKAY? ARE YOU _HAPPY_ NOW?" My screeching voice died down just as quickly as my tears started falling and in my fading anger, I wiped at my eyes and sighed, "I love him…"

What I really wanted to do was strangle her with her goddamn paper crown for getting me all riled up when there was no ice cream left, so I was taken aback seeing the grin on her face, but hearing the slight sound of movement behind me and knowing only one other being could enter the room took the fight out of me completely and that feeling was quickly replaced with the overwhelming urge to vomit instead.

_Maybe it was kitty Sam?_

My hope only lasted until I heard the all too familiar voice ask, "Sookie, what did you just say?"

**Slacker update:**

**Tales of the Dead is on hiatus for now, but I will finish it come hell or high water.**

**All In is on its last legs. The prognosis isn't good and the characters have signed a DNR. I'm thinking there's maybe two or three chapters left with or without the epilogue, but I'm in the process of rereading it to make sure I cover everything and that bitch is long. You'll have something soonish and while I hate leaving you all hanging for so long, I want to do them justice when I bring the never ending story to an end.**

**So, there you have it. For those of you who follow my wordpress site, you know I haven't been a total Miss Slacker Pants and if the rest of you promise not to string me up from the rafters, I'll post my not-so-secret other AU Vamp Eric story over here too. Or, you can skip the middleman and just read the six chapters that are already posted over there. It's called The Great Repression and is basically a 'what if' story on what would happen to the vampire population if Area 9's vampires didn't have Sookie's help and acted on their own.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**A/N: Say what? Already? I know…I can't believe it either. **

**A reminder: All **_**italicized sentences**_** within quotation marks below are super-secret Swedish speak.**

***I guess FFN is FAIL again since the first time I posted this chapter the link didn't work, so I'm posting it again. I apologize for the multiple alerts.***

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I just gave them both a buzz.**

Chapter Seventeen

**EPOV**

I must have misheard. She couldn't have possibly said what I thought she did because surely she wouldn't want to bond with me – or any vampire – now knowing what a bond would do. It would make her vulnerable. It would be the integral step in making her susceptible to all those who wanted her for their own devious plans.

But even more than that shock was what came after her admission to wanting my bond.

"What did you say Sookie?" I asked again.

Pam sped from the room with a triumphant smile, but I couldn't be bothered and had my suspicions as to why.

_My child lived to meddle._

"Pam's a relentless bitch?" she mumbled questioningly.

My lips formed a small smile in agreement, but I only wanted to hear one thing from her lips.

"Before that."

Feeling cornered she leaned into the couch cushions and huffed without turning to look at me, "Well I don't know how long you've been standing there. I've said lots of things."

My eyes took in the empty ice cream container on the coffee table, which explained the scent of mint and chocolate in the air, and the opened bottle of gin next to it gave me pause, but in my silence her ire only grew and she stood up to face me, poking me in the chest as her alcohol infused minty breath wafted over me when she said, "I've had a while to say lots of things because _someone_ just up and took off. _Someone_ didn't bother to hang around and see if I had anything to say about the mumbo jumbo hippy tree hugger tapestry horseshit. _Someone_ just pawned me off on their child _after_ they _commanded_ that child not to bond with me. You're not the boss of me! You can't tell me what to do! If I want to bond with Pam then I will! I've got my own freaky shit now and I can hold her down while I exchange blood with her! What are you gonna do about it then? Huh, Mr. My-Way-Or-The-Highway?"

Even as she wobbled to and fro with her neck craned up to defiantly stare me down there was fire in her eyes. No one – not even before I was king – spoke to me the way she did. She never feared me as others rightfully did so and instead she all but spoon fed me her indignation.

_She was magnificent._

Needing her closer, my arms coiled around her body as I hoisted her up and even as she snarled at my actions, I grinned feeling her legs entwine at my waist.

"No," she hissed while pushing at my shoulders with no force at all. "You're not gonna waltz up in here with your panty-poofing grin and think being all sexy is gonna make it all better, _your Majesty_."

"What. Did. You. Say. Sookie?" I asked in between placing kisses along her collarbone.

"That you're an ass?" she sighed, unable to stop her head from falling back while she rubbed her chest against my own.

Goading her because I _was_ an ass, I purred, "You _love_ my ass."

As though I'd glamoured her, she let one of her feet rub over my ass before tightening her hold on me and denied, "I never said I _love_ your ass."

"No?" I asked as I nipped along her neck and stole a taste of her blood when my overeager fangs scratched her skin. "I could've sworn I heard some mention of that word."

"Oh," she moaned as my tongue trailed along the spot underneath her ear. "That could've been Pam. She said you were a stubborn ass."

Just as stubborn as my little _fated_ fairy was, but I was enjoying the challenge and said, "Not Pam." Even though I'd moved at a human pace, she seemed surprised when I put her down on top of my bed and her body arched as I pushed her shirt up and let my tongue play over her lace covered nipples before pulling back slightly to deny her what she wanted, prodding her with, "Admit it."

Her hands laced into my hair as her hips squirmed underneath me and she said through gritted teeth, "Fine! You have a _great_ ass! Now if you don't quit yer yammerin' and get back work, I'm gonna put my fairy whammy on you!"

I might not have been able to shoot light from my hands, but they weren't without talents of their own. Within seconds every stitch of clothing she'd been wearing were nothing more than threads swaying in the breeze of a mumbo jumbo hippy tree hugger tapestry and when she looked up at me in surprise, I smiled and explained, "It was their destiny."

She unsuccessfully fought off the grin that took over her face, but it quickly faded away and her expression changed into saddened resignation as she sighed, "Speaking of which…you don't want to bond with me."

On the contrary, I wanted it more than anything. Even knowing we were fated – something I thought was only a myth until now – a permanent blood bond was a tangible way to claim her as my own. Every Supernatural no matter their race would recognize my invisible mark on her – whether or not they heeded its warning, but since I would be standing at her side ready to relieve them of their heads, it wouldn't matter. She would be mine in every way, but knowing how true Robert Burn's line was that 'The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry', the completion of our bond could be what ultimately took her away from me and that is what had initially given me pause.

When I'd stormed out of the room I'd gone straight to the roof so I could think through every possible avenue before us. I needed to stay two steps ahead of everyone else if I was to keep her safe from harm, but it wasn't until I'd exhausted every conceivable strategy – ranging from imprisoning her in my chambers, to sending her away to a remote location with a new identity, to turning her – my eyes cast upwards to the stars looking for guidance and it was then that I knew I could do none of those things. Those stars had been my only constant for one thousand years until she had come along and now I knew I would never be able to look at them again and not think of her.

_They would cruelly mock me for an eternity if I failed her._

The Ancient Pythoness had said we were two halves of the same whole and no matter how much I tried to force logic into the equation to tear apart her claim, the fact remained I couldn't explain what drew me to this god awful state. As much as I always despised it, I never once had any inclination to move on. I had no answer for why I'd ended up at her childhood home when I was without my memories and even though there had been many times in my long lifetime when I'd had no choice but to walk away from everything and start over, I knew there would be no walking away from Sookie. I knew I could never leave her to fend for herself, but my own instincts fought against every bit of logic I tried to apply to any scenario that took her away from me. The thought of her being bonded to anyone but me was enough to drive me mad, so ultimately I knew what we had been told was true. We _would_ permanently bond to one another, but not because it was our destiny.

_It was because she was mine just as much as I was hers._

As I returned to my chambers, I had assumed I would have to talk her into it – explain the reasons why it was the most prudent course to take – alleviate her fears so she would know I would always protect her above even my own life, but when I arrived my little fairy had surprised me once more with her words.

_Even if she hadn't expected me to hear them._

"You want to bond with me," I reminded her, murmuring softly and nuzzling against her jaw, allowing myself a moment to get lost in her glorious scent.

She didn't respond right away, but I smelled her tears just as they ran down her face and onto my own, so I looked up and brushed them away, saying softly, "Answer me."

"What is there to say, Eric?" she sighed. "_Fate_? _Destiny_? I couldn't care less, but it doesn't matter what I want because if you don't want it too then it makes no difference. No matter what that oracle woman said, we _do_ have a choice and you've made yours." She shrugged her shoulders and looked away, ending with, "I'll get over it."

_She'll get over it?_

This woman confounded me like no other being on the planet and I captured her chin so her eyes would meet mine and said, "Say it Sookie. You had the mettle to put your great-grandfather on the floor and snatch the very air from his chest, so don't shy away now. You've never held back from speaking your mind before – about me being an ass or otherwise – so spit it out. Tell_ me_ what it is _you_ want."

"You _heard me_ before, you giant ass!" she huffed angrily while pushing at my shoulders.

"I _heard you_ tell _Pam_. Now I want you to say it to _me_," I entreated lovingly, attempting to sooth my stubborn little fairy.

Her face reddened – from what I could _feel_ in both anger and embarrassment – and she spit out, "Fine! I _want_ to bond with you. I wanted to before our evening ever went to shit. Are you _happy_ now, you big bully?"

I didn't know what it was, but her anger always turned me on more so than anything else, so I shifted enough for her to _feel_ my reaction to her wrath and agreed with a smile, "Oh yes, I am quite _big_."

"You big jerk," she snarled while trying not to smile, but I could feel her amusement when she opted to attempt to squirm out from under me instead.

Her actions were only making me _bigger_, but feeling her insecurity over her admission above everything else, I stilled her body with my own, needing to hear her tell _me_ her reason for wanting to bond, and simply asked, "Why?"

"I don't know," she huffed, not realizing what I was asking for. "You were probably always _big_ and being a _bullying jerk_ seems like it just comes natural to you."

_Gods, this woman and the things that come out of her mouth! Nothing with her is ever simple. Why did I love her so much?_

_I love her?_

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I knew it was true. What else would explain all of the feelings she'd been able to stir within me? Why else would I suddenly put her – her safety and her happiness – above all else, enough that I'd been willing to let Niall take her back to Faery if it would've meant she'd be safe from harm. _That_ was when I should have known – as much as not having her with me would have caused me pain, I would have preferred it over knowing what could happen to her by remaining at my side.

_And in her absence I would've hunted Nargal into the pits of hell so she could safely return to me._

I could feel she was beginning to panic – not because I had her pinned but because she felt vulnerable from her admission in the growing silence – so I attempted to put her at ease by giving her an admission of my own.

"You are correct. I have always been _big_ and – as always – your perception is keen because being a bullying jerk _does_ come naturally to me. But…there is _something_ – something that after my long lifetime is as foreign to me as the sun in the sky. It by no means comes naturally to me and yet you, with your magical Sookie powers, somehow managed to conjure it within me. I can't even claim it was against my will."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Quit talking in circles Eric. I can't take anymore crazy talk tonight, so as a _wise ass_ once told me – spit it out."

"I love you Sookie."

Instead of relief or joy at my admission, the exact opposite occurred with her becoming catatonic. She turned into a statue not even blinking as she stared up at me, but the sound of Pam's voice on the other side of the closed door, hollering, _"I fucking knew it!"_ was enough to bring her back to life.

_The future of Pam's life was still undecided._

"What?" she whispered disbelievingly. "Are you joking? Because that's not funny Eric."

"_It's a RIOT! MYYY Maker! In looo..oovve…"_

As the relentless bitch's Maker, I sent the equivalent of a smack through our bond along with a warning for her to go the fuck away and returned my full attention to Sookie, saying, "I would not joke about something so serious Sookie."

"You wouldn't?" she whispered while probing our tie. It was like feeling a thousand tiny tendrils moving throughout my body that were both foreign and innate at the same time. I could somehow discern they were coming from her and unlike my bond with Pam, which was more of a mental connection, my tie with Sookie felt like nearly every part of me was open to her – hungered for her – and the parts that weren't were merely lying in wait for that third and final exchange.

_My cock twitched wondering what those tendrils would feel like then._

"No," I replied just as softly.

More tears welled in her eyes as she seemed to be satisfied with what she'd found, but still she asked, "Does that mean you want to bond with me?"

Her disbelief was slowly fading, but still I reassured her out loud with, "I do," and ended with a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Because of the hippy tree hugger horseshit?" she probed still unsure.

"No," I replied with a small shake of my head.

I could feel she was still hesitant to allow herself to believe what I knew she could feel from me when she asked, "Then, why?"

"Because for a thousand years I have walked this earth, dying each day and rising each night – just waiting, but I didn't know what for. I've always felt there was something more – something I was still missing and that longing is what has sustained me – what gave me purpose and drove me to search across every continent for something that had no name, and that overwhelming pull only ceased when I came to be here. And still I was left waiting, existing night after night subjected to the same monotonous way of life I'd come to know and expect, and just when I thought there wasn't possibly another surprise left for me in this world, you came along.

You are beautiful and brave – bright and passionate. You've never ceased to fail in surprising me – be it with your wit or your actions. You are a constantly changing puzzle I know I will never figure out and yet know I will never stop trying. I have never been in awe of anyone like I am constantly in awe of you. I no longer feel like I am waiting because you are what I was missing – even if I never knew it before now. You have breathed new life into me and my home now resides wherever you are. I am in love with you – another awe inspiring surprise I never would've expected in my long life – and I want to bond with you because I am yours."

Her tears had been flowing the entire time, but her gaze never faltered from my own so I could not only feel the truth of her words, I could see it in her eyes as she said, "I love you too Eric."

I'd heard her say words to that effect to Pam and I'd been _bullying_ her since my return to make her say them again, but actually hearing her say them to _me_ – feeling the truth behind them because she was literally radiating her love to me – was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I had nothing to compare it to because it so far surpassed every other elated memory from my past and I knew nothing would ever come close to making me feel that way again.

_But I was just as certain she would surprise me and prove me wrong anyway._

Sookie pulled my lips to hers and while her tongue stroked along my fangs, her hands started pulling at my clothes only reminding me how very naked she was beneath me. I sat up on my knees to enjoy the view and as it turned out, my clothing too had been destined for scraps and she giggled seeing them fly across the room. Her laughter ceased when I pulled her body up with my arm wrapped around her waist so that her ass was resting on my thighs and her legs wrapped around me while her back arched, invitingly pushing her twin peaks towards me.

_I didn't care for the show Pam tried to make me watch in the 90's, but I certainly loved Sookie's._

Goose bumps rose up on her skin in the wake of my tongue's path and even taking into account my cooler temperature she felt inordinately hot to my touch. I hadn't noted a noticeable difference while lying atop her and while a blush now covered her entire body, given what we were in the middle of doing, it was to be expected, but when her hips gyrated trapping my cock within her wet folds, my already descended fangs throbbed at the scent that engulfed us.

_Fairy._

Not just _any_ fairy, but an obscenely fairy scented Sookie and instead of questioning why her scent was so much stronger, I was going to enjoy it and was about to ravage her when she whispered, "It burns…"

"What burns, lover?" I asked with my desire turning into worry while my eyes darted over her body. Automatically a part of my mind started counting her pulse rate while my ears listened to her lungs, but as I started to lay her back down onto the bed to further assess what was wrong, I stopped when she clung to me, saying, "All of me. I…I…I _need _you…"

Her lips moved along my jaw and she tested my willpower by scraping her teeth against my neck, so all I could do was grunt out, "Perhaps you are coming down with something. A flu? A virus perhaps? I can have a doctor brought here."

Even I didn't believe my own words since I knew no _human_ cold would make her smell more of a fairy, so I had no basis for denying her proposed medical treatment plan when she said, "No." Her eyes met mine and, while glassy, she was cognizant as she reached down in between our bodies to press my cock against her, sliding herself up until I was poised at her entrance and then lowering her body back down my own, adding, "I…need…_you_."

My hands automatically moved to her hips as I helped her along, grunting, "You have all of me, so take whatever you need."

Any other time I would've laughed with glee over the thought of Sookie needing to fuck me to feel better – it gave my life a whole new purpose – and I still might have a chuckle over it later on, but right then it was all I could do to not bite her. The fairy scent only grew tenfold with every plunge of her hips and my eyes were playing tricks on me because it almost appeared she was emitting a soft glow, but I was worried if I bit her now, I wouldn't be able to stop. The pure fairy prisoner's blood spilled at my feet and that didn't even make my mouth water, but my eyes were locked in on her lovely neck as my mouth and fangs salivated with every pulse of her heart. Cumming would only make my restraint that much harder, but at least it would provide some sort of release and my body needed it.

Sookie had been moving her hips atop mine with the precision of a well trained exotic dancer using me as her pole and I had no complaints, but it was more than that. She moved in every way my body wanted her to as if she was somehow using our incomplete bond to read my wants and needs. It only made me want to complete our bond now knowing it could only get better, even if I couldn't imagine a heaven any better than what she was giving me, but I was still fearful I could drain her in the state I was in.

I used what little wits I had left to focus on pleasuring her because I knew I wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer and hoped I would be able to regain my sanity in whatever downtime we had before the inevitable next round. Without breaking our stride I tossed her back onto the bed and pinned her hips with my own pounding into her. Her hair was spread out in a wild sweaty halo above her head as she allowed me to do as I pleased, but even lost in her own euphoria she still managed to push me to the brink by lunging upwards and attaching her mouth to my neck. Her teeth and tongue assaulted my senses and I growled in warning, but my Sookie was never one to back down.

_Especially not from me._

Instead she wrapped her limbs around me as tightly as she could so that only our hips remained mobile and as I felt her inner walls clamp down around my cock – _demanding_ I cum for her – she put her own neck at my mouth and said, "Bite!"

_Just before she did the same._

My brain must have short circuited because I only knew I'd executed her orders when her blood hit my tongue and then I was done for. I'd hoped to complete our bond on this night, but now all I could hope for was that I would be able to stop and not drain her. I'd already fed from her earlier that night when we first rose, so I knew I shouldn't take much, but my gods…her taste was unlike anything I'd ever had. She tasted so much sweeter than any other time I'd had her blood in the past and coupled with the sensation of her feeding from me as well it made me cum a second time. Sookie's body had yet to stop convulsing around me while her climax washed over her, but her mouth never wavered from her task. With every pull and swallow it felt like a part of me was crawling inside of her and making itself at home to stay, just as I felt her presence within me grow at the same time. Every nuance of everything she was feeling was mine to be had, so perhaps it was due to feeling her happiness and relief, that even after my Sookie-inflicted wound closed, I continued to drink from her vein without thought, but as I felt her start to become cold I panicked and licked her punctures closed before pulling back completely, gasping – _gasping?_ – "I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

She only smiled back at me, lazily asking, "Can't you _feel_ that I'm alright?"

_Oh…right._

I scrutinized our now completed bond and surprisingly, she _did_ feel alright. Invigorated even, but chilly as well so I moved us underneath the covers and pulled her into my arms, explaining, "I thought I took too much of your blood. I was worried I'd drained you."

"Don't be silly," she snickered and then added, "But I thank you for putting out my fire with your hose."

_Silly? She was the equivalent of fairy flavored vampire crack and I was the one who was silly?_

"I'm being serious Sookie. Something's changed. Your scent and your blood are sweeter. I would guess it has something to do with your fairy powers showing themselves tonight, but you're only one-eighth Fae so I can't be sure. Your fairy shapeshifter is full-blooded and his held no appeal to me whatsoever when it spilled out of him across the floor, which is also…odd."

"He's not _my_ fairy anything," she huffed, completely ignoring my slip about his blood being spilled, but hearing her words brought out a possessiveness from within that shocked even me and completely erased what we'd just been talking about from my mind.

If I thought I'd loved her before, it trifled in comparison to how I felt about her now that our bond was complete. It was as though a missing piece of me – a piece that had been gone all along and I didn't know about until its return – was restored. The beast within me that I'd spent my lifetime keeping chained was no longer tethered and instead he prowled freely, standing guard with his fangs bared in warning over that restored piece – the part of me where my bond with Sookie now resided.

Like an animal marking its territory, I threw myself over her body, covering her completely with my own, and growled, "You are mine. I'll never let anyone near you again. I'll kill every fairy and demon in every realm if I have to in order to keep you from harm."

I'd lay them all to waste and then claim my bonded while drenched in their blood.

I didn't realizing I was snarling until Sookie shushed me, calming me with her lips against my own, and said, "And I'll help you do it, just not right now. Now we have other things to do."

Her roaming hands and _our bond_ told me exactly what she wanted to do and I was all for it, but still I asked coyly, "And what would that be?"

She answered me without words and instead managed to give me yet another surprise.

_Bonded sex?_

_Nothing. Else. Like. It._

**Thanks for reading and since I can't do review replies to all of you "Guest" reviewers, thanks for those too!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**A/N: I know when I posted the last chapter it turned out it was during Fanfic Fail One Frillion, but for those of you that don't know, if that happens again you can always read the chapter on my wordpress site. I usually don't update over there until I get a banner made to go with the chapter, but if I find out Fanfic Fail is in effect and I'm still around a computer, I'll post it there right away. Teasers for this story get posted over there as well.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all. I'm just giving them a bit more alone time before the shit hits the fan again.**

Chapter Eighteen

**SPOV**

I woke up simultaneously feeling ten shades of nasty and better than ever before, but I refused to move at first and only looked over at the cause for both of those feelings.

Eric.

My bonded.

Just thinking about his sweet words from the night before had me coiling my body around his, wishing I could wake him up and show him my appreciation all over again, but taking a shower first couldn't hurt and my bladder had other ideas too, so eventually I had no choice but to give in to its demands. While I was in the bathroom the other things we'd learned about the night before filtered into my head and while it all sounded too fantastical to believe, I knew I'd be a fool to discount any of it. Eric's reaction to that oracle woman alone told me she wasn't some charlatan hawking snake oil, so I figured if I was going to be hunted by fairies and demons who would rape me, then I needed to start working on ways to defend myself.

My eyes glanced down at the roll of toilet paper and figured it was a harmless enough thing to practice on, so I pulled on the roll so a few sheets hung down and concentrated on it trying to will the paper to move.

Nothing.

I tried to picture Niall in its place and concentrated even harder, but in the end I only managed to piss myself off so I went to snatch the entire roll from its perch, intending to throw it into the shower to complete my hissy fit, only as my hand reached down the roll caught on fire. I squeaked in panic with my feet dancing a little jig while my brain tried to think of what I should do when Eric suddenly appeared in the doorway. He didn't look drowsy at all but then I hadn't bothered to look at the time and without bothering to ask what was wrong – I'm sure the burning roll of toilet paper probably gave it away – he grabbed a towel and wet it in the sink before using it to douse the flames.

I didn't realize I was crying until he moved to stand in front of me and wiped my tears away asking, "What happened?"

"I'm a prepubescent Drew Barrymore," I sniffled.

_Goddamn Firestarter… Why couldn't I be the kickass Charlie's Angels version of her instead?_

Eric stared down at me like I had three heads and hesitantly asked, "Are you still feeling unwell? I can call a doctor to come see you."

Realizing Eric couldn't read my thoughts – at least when I didn't mean for him to – I giggled knowing how crazy I sounded and asked, "Do you have Doctor Frankenstein on your payroll? Everybody's saying I'm made up of all of these different parts, so I think I might need a specialist."

Eric tried not to look amused since his bonded was clearly a fruitcake, but maybe this whole being bonded thing was more powerful than I thought because he couldn't seem to help himself in adding to my nuttiness by saying, "With the invention of the VCR and now DVR's it has been some time since I've watched a commercial, but from what I recall they only warned you should not _squeeze_ the Charmin and made no mention of not setting it on _fire_, however I'm sure that would be frowned upon as well." He smirked wider asking, "What did it do to piss you off? Ironic considering I believe its use is for when you pi…"

"ERIC!" I shrieked.

_It was none of his beeswax what I needed toilet paper for._

"Do you still need to go?" he asked with a full-blown smile. "That little dance you were doing when I walked in would indicate you do."

I broke down into giggles and he chuckled while snatching me up into his arms and buried his face into my neck, inhaling deeply and saying, "You are a splendid creature Sookie Stackhouse. No one has ever pleased me like you do." I barely had the chance to enjoy his confession when his tone and our bond took on an edge of concern as he said, "Now, tell me what happened."

Feeling his worry was enough to take the edge off of my own amusement and I calmed down considerably before finally explaining what I'd been trying to do and when I was done, he offered, "Perhaps your gift is emotion based. You need to be upset in order for it to work?"

I just shrugged since fire was a new one and the only thing I could be sure of was the fact that Eric definitely flicked my Bic, but considering I was certain I would be _emotional_ if some wayward fairy or demon tried to kidnap me, I could only hope my fairy whammy would kick in. Eric must have come to the same conclusion and didn't like that option because he said as much admitting, "That is unacceptable. If you have acquired these gifts then you need to know how to control them." Before I could get pissy with him too, thinking he was berating me for not automatically knowing how to use my freaky powers, he said, "I will contact Niall. He needs to train you so that you can be prepared if the situation arises that you'd need them."

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea considering his attitude seemed to have done a 180 before he'd left, but that wasn't the only thing that had changed. Before, I could feel Eric's emotions if I concentrated on them – _really hard_, but now it felt like it was impossible to avoid them. We were definitely bonded because I could feel his fury as if it were my own at the thought someone could take me away from him and since his arms were still wrapped around me, I squeaked in protest when he hugged me too tightly. His grip loosened a second later, but when he put me down a wholly different feeling swept through both of us now realizing we were each as naked as a jaybird.

We might not have been bonded for very long, but I had yet to find one drawback to it, especially when no words were needed as he swept me back up into his arms and carried me into the shower so we could put out a new and very different kind of fire.

It wasn't until we were walking back into the bedroom later on when I realized I hadn't moved my clothes into his room, but I still had _some_ modesty and didn't want to run into Pam so she could see my naked jaybird, so I asked, "Is Pam up yet?"

Eric always rose before her, but there was no clock in his room for me to go by and I watched him concentrate for a second while reaching for his phone before shaking his head, so I went to open the door and said, "I'm gonna grab some clothes." I was halfway to my old room when I felt Eric's shock stop me in my tracks, but I didn't need to wonder why because I felt a healthy dose of it myself when my eyes landed on the clock in the living room.

_11:47am_

I blinked thinking that couldn't possibly be right before I ran back into his room asking, "Is that right?" Eric was staring down at his phone and I didn't have to specify I was asking about the time because his look said it all when he answered, "Impossible."

While waking up before noon was highly improbable for me anymore, I recalled Eric telling me he could only rise during the daytime if he was in danger and even though he'd done it before in my presence when I'd been upset, that didn't stop me from asking in a panic, "Do you feel alright? What woke you up?"

"That," he answered cryptically before explaining, "I felt your panic, but now I feel…fine."

I scrutinized our bond seeing for myself that he did feel fine – nothing like how he normally felt just before the sun pulled him to his daytime rest, while that section where my dirty mind had been opened, thanks to said bonded, agreed wholeheartedly.

_He felt FINE alright._

And it didn't help at all that he was still naked showing me just how _fine_ he was.

_Stupid eyesight and bawdy brain._

"Sookie," he growled lowly while taking a step towards me, undoubtedly feeling my lust.

_Stupid bond. Drawback number one…_

"Go put some clothes on!" I screeched, knowing if I got my hands on him – or vice versa – I'd be screwed.

Literally.

_And it would be gooooddd…_

_Stop it Sookie!_

I marched me and my depravity out the door and back to my room, shoving my body into some clothes while trying not to picture what I'd rather have Eric shoving into my body. While I was there – and because I was stalling trying to calm down my libido – I gathered an armful of clothes and once the lust haze abated somewhat I carried them back into the bedroom, trying to sound offhand once I got there and asked, "Do you feel tired now?"

Thankfully Eric had gotten dressed while I'd been gone, but his mind had apparently set up camp in the gutter because he was sprawled out suggestively on the bed petting kitty Sam and leered, "I'm feeling anything but tired and this is not the pussy I want to be stroking right now."

"Eric Northman!" I gritted out, but only so I could keep the whole 'Pillage me now Viking!' from coming out. "We cannot spend every waking moment having sex!"

At least that was what I was telling myself even though I couldn't come up with a good reason why not.

Our bond was a tricky thing because I'd been able to tell Eric had only been mostly teasing me until he saw me start to make room for my clothes in his closet and then that same bond exploded with a carnal satisfaction, only giving me a second's warning before I had a giant Viking at my back with his lips in my ear, purring, "But we have so much more time being awake now. Why squander it?"

I did my best to ignore the feelings of desire and gave my best half-assed effort at trying to sound irritated when I asked, "Why is the sight of me putting my clothes away such a turn on?"

_I didn't get it. Was this what normal housewives went through?_

That thought did me no good because all I could picture then were the things Eric could do to me on top of a washer or dryer – or bent over one – and he didn't help matters any when he hummed into my ear, "You're nesting. Seeing you put your things next to mine is the visual evidence that you _are_ in fact _mine_."

_We were permanently bonded. We were told we're 'fated' and he gets aroused by closet space? _

_It would certainly explain why Pam was his child._

"Yeah," I tried to huff, but it came out sounding more like a sigh. "Well you're _mine_ too, buddy. Now let me get this done so I don't have to wander around in a towel all the time." I could feel those were the wrong words to have chosen – I could _feel_ it against my back, but before Eric could go a Viking on my new overpriced wardrobe I said, "Knock it off. We have…"

The words died in my throat because I was going to say 'forever to sex each other up', but the truth was we didn't. While Eric did have forever, I had maybe another fifty or sixty years if I was lucky.

I'd look old and haggard by then.

Eric would still look young and beautiful.

Feeling the shift in my mood thanks to my depressing thoughts, Eric's arms wrapped around me with him carrying my sad self to the bed and once he'd covered me with his own body, trying but not able to shelter me from my own thoughts, he softly asked, "What is wrong?"

"Nothing," I weakly replied.

"It feels very much like _something_," he countered softy. "What has upset you?"

I didn't want to be a big baby, whining over the inevitability of me growing old while Eric would always look like a male model. Lord knew I had bigger problems to worry about than gray hair and sagging breasts – in fact those bigger problems could negate that possibility altogether if we didn't figure out a way to stop them, but I was a woman – apparently a _vain_ woman.

I could feel Eric trying to will the answer out of me, so I finally caved and admitted, "I'm going to get old and gray and saggy and you're not. People will think I'm your grandmother which is exactly what I'll feel like no matter how much older you are than me." I looked up into his eyes and sniffled, "You'll still be Mr. Sexy Pants walking around poofing panties near and far while I'm walking around wearing adult diapers in mine. Diapers don't _poof_ and the pants that contain them are not sexy."

I didn't even want to think about what would happen when I died. Sure, Eric loved me and I was certain he would miss me, but surely he'd move on eventually. He _did_ have forever and he was a man – a _vampire_ man – and I knew all too well he had needs – needs he'd have to find someone else to fulfill.

_Skanks…all of them. _

_I already hated them with a passion and their mothers probably hadn't even been born yet._

"I'll turn you," Eric said, pulling me right out of my irrationally jealous thoughts.

"What?" I asked completely thrown for a loop. While I obviously had nothing against vampires I'd never given any thought about becoming one of them, but now…

"I'll turn you," he repeated softly. "But if that is something you do not want, then I will remain with you until you take your last breath and follow right behind you into the afterlife where I'll seek you out there. I will not – cannot – be without you, lover, nor will you ever be left without me at your side."

Just the thought of Eric ending his own life – no matter the reason – made my insides flare up and without any thought or effort the invisible barrier I'd surrounded him and Pam in the night before sprang up around the bed. Kitty Sam must have sensed the electrical charge in the air because he squawked and jumped up, trying to leap from the bed, but he was trapped and merely bounced back down onto the mattress.

"Fascinating," Eric smiled as he reached towards the spot where poor kitty Sam had face planted.

His hand couldn't penetrate it either, but I didn't find my Harry Potter Protego spell to be all that fascinating at the moment and instead I grabbed his face so he'd look me in the eyes and ordered, "Don't. You. _Dare._ Die."

Said to anyone else it would probably be wishful thinking or lovey dovey poetic prose, but since he was over a thousand years old I thought I had a reasonable expectation for him to follow it.

Without question.

The sternness in my voice didn't ruffle his feathers at all and he merely nuzzled my cheek, crooning, "Lover, did you not pay attention last night? My home resides wherever you are, so if you want me to remain on this plane, then you shall have to as well."

_Well, alrighty then._

Even mired down with my own horror over the thought of Eric no longer existing, the fact remained I wouldn't want to be here without him either. I loved him with everything I had – he was the only person I had left – so how could I be selfish and take myself away from him when I knew he felt the same way about me?

_I wasn't so vain that I'd end up destroying him just so I could keep my tan._

Before I could say anything he offered, "But given your Fae heritage, you might live longer than a normal human lifespan anyway. Couple that with me feeding you my blood on a regular basis and I would hazard a guess that you would not age very quickly at all."

Apparently I _was_ vain enough to be happy with that thought because the longer I remained human – well, _mostly human_ – the longer I'd be able to feed him.

_I wonder how he'll feel about feeding EXCLUSIVELY from men._

_Ugly men._

Realizing I hadn't said anything to let him know my decision, I merely offered a soft, "Okay."

"Okay?" he repeated with his golden eyebrow arched.

_Honestly, I'd seen it so often by then it was a wonder there wasn't a flashing 'Over One Billion Served' sign underneath it._

_I doubted it would be an exaggerated number._

"Yes," I smiled up at my vampire Ronald McDonald and ended up snorting a little over the thought it was no wonder he was always at odds with the Burger Queen across the hall. "You'll feed me your blood until I start to look like Ma Kettle and then you can turn me."

I nearly choked on his immediate and undeniable joy, but as I gasped in a much needed breath, all he did was smile down at me and say, "Perhaps we'll do it _before_ you start to look like Ma Kettle."

_It wasn't like I was going to disagree…_

After another romp through his sheets and second shower later, I was finishing up putting my things away in his closet when I felt what could only be described as an 'Oh shit' moment coming from Eric. He'd gone off to the living room to do some work on his laptop since he was up so early and we already knew what would happen if he saw me _nesting_ in his closet, but I couldn't ignore the feeling and left the room, finding him sitting on the couch and staring at his laptop, so I asked, "What's wrong?"

_While I tried to ignore how sad it was how often we seemed to ask that of one another._

Eric just seemed to be floundering and I felt an odd mixture of defeat, calm, and anger coming from him as he said, "It seems that your brother has managed to get out of prison."

My face must have looked the same way as whenever he and Pam spoke Swedish around me – Lord knows I felt that way – because he explained, "With the help of Newlin's attorneys his case was brought back before the same judge who presided over his previous trial. The judge has become sympathetic to their cause, now that his daughter has become romantically involved with a vampire, and he overturned the conviction, declaring himself 'The 13th juror.' In his ruling he wrote that the evidence used to convict your brother was 'minimal' and 'conflicting' and he has called into question the credibility of the prosecution's key witness."

All I could do was gape at him when he ended with, "Your brother is getting a new trial and as of this morning, he has been released on bond, paid for by Newlin himself."

"But…that's _good_, right?" I asked, not really sure how I felt about it yet, but the one thing I could be certain of was Jason couldn't have killed Gran.

"Sookie," he said cautiously. "Your brother is only further encasing himself within the Fellowship's ranks. If he goes after one of my subjects and is caught…"

He didn't need to finish that sentence because I already knew the answer.

Jason would be killed.

However I didn't think Eric would be the one to do it and I fought against the urge to beg him to make a statewide decree that none of the vampires under his rule could harm a hair on Jason's head, but I knew it wasn't fair. I couldn't ask that of him no matter how much I wanted to save Jason, but an idea popped into my head and out of my mouth before I could rein it back in.

"He doesn't remember," I said, voicing my thoughts out loud. "He was glamoured to forget we ever visited him in prison, so if I go to him now and show him that I'm okay – that a vampire didn't kill me or take me – then maybe he won't be so hateful towards you all."

There was no question Eric didn't agree with me when he roared out, "NO!" before asking incredulously, "You expect me to let you go to your brother after what happened the last time? _HE STRUCK YOU!_ I won't give him a second opportunity to do it again because he will die at _my hand_ if he does."

Never mind he'd just threatened to kill my one remaining family member…_that I counted anyway._

_LET me?_

Eric might have been on to something when he guessed my emotions were tied into my fairy freakiness because my pissed off powers were making my hands tingle. If it wasn't for me feeling like I was drowning in the waves of concern coming from him, I might have blasted him into the next room, but all I did was grit my teeth and spit out, "My idea has merit."

_After all, he already knew I thought he was a giant bullying ass._

_My side of our bond was screaming it at him._

"_Your idea_," he spat back, "is ludicrous. After everything we learned last night, do you think I would let you out my sight much less within arm's reach of your brother? Because make no mistake – I _would_ be there, so he would just have the same reaction as _the last time_ all over again."

"He _won't_ if _you're not there!_" I argued back. I could see Eric's point, but I had one too goddamn it, so I tried to use a softer tone to get it across and added, "If he sees that I'm fine, I can ease him into the idea of you and me being together. I'll just make something up, like I was in a coma or had amnesia. He won't know any better and once he's sees I'm alright, maybe then he won't be so hateful."

It seemed as though Eric stopped listening to me after I uttered the first sentence because that was all he addressed when he replied, "If I'm _not there_ a fairy or demon could take you! I'm not going to risk your safety just so you can try to appease your bigoted brother."

I felt my own pigheadedness rise up preparing to battle against his just for the mere fact Eric sounded like he was trying to tell me what to do, but the only thing that stopped me was because it wouldn't change the fact he was right.

_And I hated it._

Hoping for some sort of compromise, I begrudgingly offered, "What if we go at night? You can lurk around outside while I talk to him and he never has to know you're there."

His _royal highhandedness_ was already shaking his head as he said, "No. I wouldn't be able to enter any home he was in without an invitation, but any _fairy or demon_ could."

While I internally grumbled I threw myself down onto the couch next to him, still angry and yet needing to be close to him, so I didn't resist when he put his arm around me and pulled me closer, only feeling better because I could feel _he_ felt better with contact too.

_At least I wasn't the only one._

After a few moments I gestured towards his laptop and asked, "Does it say where he's staying? If he went back to Bon Temps we could probably run into him any night of the week at Merlotte's. You'd be able to go in there and we could tell Sam what's going on beforehand. He would keep an eye on me."

He growled softly at the mention of Sam's name only making me roll my eyes at him in return, but all he said was, "According to my investigator, your brother is staying with someone named Hoyt Fortenberry."

"In _Bon Temps_," I added since he left that little detail out.

Eric set the laptop on the table and pulled me into his lap, exhaling softly and said, "I'm still not comfortable with the idea of you seeing your brother without me there. He's already struck you once and there's no guarantee he won't do it again. Besides that, you've seen Niall. All fairies have the ability to teleport from one location to another, so any fae could merely pop in, grab you, and pop back out before I could get to you. You don't know that your _fairy whammy_ will work when you want it to and they could always render you unconscious before taking you." He leaned his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes, sighing, "I'm sorry lover, but it's too big of a risk. I can't lose you now that I've finally found you."

_Damn him for being sweet. Where was the giant bullying ass when I needed him?_

Luckily for him, not every fairy could magically poof everywhere because my own stubbornness could very likely poof me all the way back to Bon Temps, but remembering how Niall had done that very thing to me had me slumping in defeat.

Eric must have felt it because he softly kissed the top of my head, saying, "I'm sorry lover. I'll try to think of another way for you to see your brother if that's what you really want."

Hearing that only made me feel worse for the way I'd acted because I knew Eric would do it. He would hate it, but he would do it – for me.

_Because he loved me._

Not knowing he didn't need to offer me an olive branch, he said, "Perhaps once you've mastered your abilities. You were able to take on Niall, so you possess the strength to fight off the strongest of their kind. If you could maintain your shield and surround yourself with it while you're there, it might be safe enough, but first you must learn to learn to control it."

That felt nearly as impossible as him rising before noon, but since he did it, I figured the least I could do was try. I focused with all of my might trying to blow a bubble shield around Eric and I, but the only thing I managed to blow was my optimism away. My eyes unwittingly moved to glance over at his collection of swords, which I was sure were more than just decorative, as I said in defeat, "It would probably be easier to learn to fight with one of those, but I guess I'd stand out walking into Merlotte's with a sword hanging from my hip."

Another kind of sword made its presence known underneath me hearing my words, but Eric just jokingly scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous." Before I could get mad all over again in my perceived slight of his opinion on my future Xena Warrior Princess status – he probably had a Chakram lying around there somewhere that I could use – he added, "You are much too short to wear a sword at your waist. We'll have to get you fitted for a sheath to strap across your back."

He'd purred out the last sentence while his hands stroked along my back and his face nuzzled against my cheek, but before I could go stroking anything of his in return Pam appeared, saying, "Well…aren't you two _disgustingly_ sweet this evening." I hadn't realized how much time had passed, but when we turned to look at her, she rolled her eyes and grinned slightly adding, "It's about damn time," however her declaration only reminded me of her relentless bitchiness from the night before.

_And what happened afterwards thanks to that relentless bitch staring back at us._

God only knows how long Eric and I would've danced around our feelings for each other if it hadn't been for her and I surprised both of them when I leapt up off of his lap and threw my arms around her, giving her now paralyzed body a bear hug and said, "Thank you Pam. You're the best bitch a girl could ever have."

It took a minute for her to loosen up enough to eventually hug me back and being Pam, of course she couldn't leave it at just a hug, but I didn't mind one bit when she grabbed my ass in both of her hands, figuring she'd more than earned it.

_It was just one more thing Eric and I disagreed on, but at least that time we could smile about it._

**It feels so wrong to not end a chapter in a cliffhanger, but sadly I couldn't work one in. There's always next time though! :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**A/N: Hi…Sorry it's been so long. I have no excuse other than working on my other fics, but I'm back again. There are recaps at the tops of Chapters 14 and 16 if you want to peruse those real quick, after which Eric and Sookie find out from the AP that they're fated. They finally complete their bond after admitting they're in love; Sookie almost sets their bathroom on fire testing her powers and agrees to letting Eric turn her before she looks like Ma Kettle and then they find out Jason has been released from prison and granted a new trial.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, but at least she has the sense to pick one story and stick with it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of me.**

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><p><em>When we last left off:<em>

Eric set the laptop on the table and pulled me into his lap, exhaling softly and said, "I'm still not comfortable with the idea of you seeing your brother without me there. He's already struck you once and there's no guarantee he won't do it again. Besides that, you've seen Niall. All fairies have the ability to teleport from one location to another, so any fae could merely pop in, grab you, and pop back out before I could get to you. You don't know that your _fairy whammy_ will work when you want it to and they could always render you unconscious before taking you." He leaned his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes, sighing, "I'm sorry lover, but it's too big of a risk. I can't lose you now that I've finally found you."

_Damn him for being sweet. Where was the giant bullying ass when I needed him?_

Luckily for him, not every fairy could magically poof everywhere because my own stubbornness could very likely poof me all the way back to Bon Temps, but remembering how Niall had done that very thing to me had me slumping in defeat.

Eric must have felt it because he softly kissed the top of my head, saying, "I'm sorry lover. I'll try to think of another way for you to see your brother if that's what you really want."

Hearing that only made me feel worse for the way I'd acted because I knew Eric would do it. He would hate it, but he would do it – for me.

_Because he loved me._

Not knowing he didn't need to offer me an olive branch, he said, "Perhaps once you've mastered your abilities. You were able to take on Niall, so you possess the strength to fight off the strongest of their kind. If you could maintain your shield and surround yourself with it while you're there, it might be safe enough, but first you must learn to learn to control it."

That felt nearly as impossible as him rising before noon, but since he did it, I figured the least I could do was try. I focused with all of my might trying to blow a bubble shield around Eric and I, but the only thing I managed to blow was my optimism away. My eyes unwittingly moved to glance over at his collection of swords, which I was sure were more than just decorative, as I said in defeat, "It would probably be easier to learn to fight with one of those, but I guess I'd stand out walking into Merlotte's with a sword hanging from my hip."

Another kind of sword made its presence known underneath me hearing my words, but Eric just jokingly scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous." Before I could get mad all over again in my perceived slight of his opinion on my future Xena Warrior Princess status – he probably had a Chakram lying around there somewhere that I could use – he added, "You are much too short to wear a sword at your waist. We'll have to get you fitted for a sheath to strap across your back."

He'd purred out the last sentence while his hands stroked along my back and his face nuzzled against my cheek, but before I could go stroking anything of his in return Pam appeared, saying, "Well…aren't you two _disgustingly_ sweet this evening." I hadn't realized how much time had passed, but when we turned to look at her, she rolled her eyes and grinned slightly adding, "It's about damn time," however her declaration only reminded me of her relentless bitchiness from the night before.

_And what happened afterwards thanks to that relentless bitch staring back at us._

God only knows how long Eric and I would've danced around our feelings for each other if it hadn't been for her and I surprised both of them when I leapt up off of his lap and threw my arms around her, giving her now paralyzed body a bear hug and said, "Thank you Pam. You're the best bitch a girl could ever have."

It took a minute for her to loosen up enough to eventually hug me back and being Pam, of course she couldn't leave it at just a hug, but I didn't mind one bit when she grabbed my ass in both of her hands, figuring she'd more than earned it.

_It was just one more thing Eric and I disagreed on, but at least that time we could smile about it._

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><p>Chapter Nineteen<p>

_*Secret Swedish speak in italicized quotations below*_

**EPOV**

My child was lucky. Be it a happenstance of her being my child or the fact I could feel their mutual affection for one another, I was certain it was only due to one – if not a combination – of those two things in which she was able to remain in possession of her hands.

_I would've ripped the arms off of anyone else who dared to touch my bonded at all, much less for grabbing her ass._

"Sookie," Pam purred in a whisper, "Feel free to do a little groping yourself before my Maker regains his senses."

"Too late," I barked with no real bite to my words and pulled my bonded back onto my lap. It was impossible for me to feel anything but Sookie's happiness at the moment and I was truly happy for her that she'd found a friend in my child, after learning how little of them she had due to her gift. We would need all the allies we could gather – her furry friends included – if we were to fight off the Fae and Demons alike, but until they made their first move there was nothing more we could do but prepare for them.

"_Her bigoted brother is out of prison and has returned to their hometown awaiting a new trial. Have you found the uncle yet?"_ I asked, while feeling Sookie's growing aggravation over my evasion.

Pam smirked at Sookie's scowl and replied, _"Are we killing the asshole? The brother – not Uncle Fester the Molester. Uncle Fester is currently in a state run home where the humans send old people to die. I didn't know if you'd still want him since there'd be no sport in killing him. He's unaware of his surroundings."_

Truthfully, I wanted to kill them both, but I knew Sookie would miss at least _one_ of them. The other, however, was fair game. Normally I wouldn't bother exacting revenge on someone so frail and near death, only because it would almost be kind to put them out of their misery, but nothing of what I was feeling now could be classified as 'normal'. _My bonded_ had been victimized – by both his thoughts and his actions.

_For those offenses his painful death would be slow in coming, even if I had to heal him with vampire blood so I could prolong his punishment._

"_The brother will live," _I replied,_ "for now, but I want the uncle brought to the dungeon here. Use only vampire guards. I don't want my bonded to hear any details from the Weres' minds." _

I didn't know what Sookie's reaction would be to my plans and decided to use the 'don't ask/don't tell' policy where he was concerned.

_I wouldn't tell her if she didn't ask._

"What are you two talking about?" Sookie finally huffed with irritation.

_Fucking hell…_

"My Maker was just reminding me that he has no desire to share you with his most loyal child," Pam replied before I could even try to formulate an answer, bending the truth so much it could be used as one of those ridiculous looping plastic straws she sometimes used to drink synthetic blood. I'd never actually come out and said so, but Pam knew well enough through our tie I would never share Sookie with her – even before we were bonded. However she was also shrewd enough to realize, as my bonded, Sookie would know if I'd tried to lie and had saved me from having to answer.

"He's promised me diamonds to make it up to me," she smiled back at me.

"You're just spoiled," Sookie laughed and then looked back at me, asking, "What's on the agenda for tonight, _besides_ bedazzling Pam?"

_Considering Sookie had bought her half-truth, Pam may very well look as though Liberace was her personal shopper by the time I was done repaying my debt to her._

I could practically hear my wallet crying in my bedroom, but it was a small price to pay so I decided to get my money's worth and looked at Pam, saying, "You'll see to whatever business there is for the night. Sookie and I will be along later."

There wasn't much on the agenda considering all we'd been subjected the night before, but her hands shot to her hips while the scowl formed on her face with her asking, "And what will _you_ be doing while I'm ass deep in kingdom bullshit?"

My hands did a little of their own ass grabbing on Sookie's, attempting to remove the invisible fingerprints my child had left there, while I said, "_I'll_ be teaching my lover how to wield a sword."

Ever since she'd brought it up, I couldn't get the image to leave my mind. Imagining her thrusting the deadly weapon I would have made just for her; her tiny hand wrapped around the grip with the gleaming blade waving in the air in front of her while her body glistened from exertion. The thought alone would've made _me_ sweat if it were at all possible. The visuals my mind conjured were nearly as good as seeing her putting her things away in my closet and my own lust at the mere thought of my warrior lover shot through my veins, colliding with Sookie's growing excitement, but was tempered just as quickly by the insolence I felt from Pam as she turned and stalked from room, calling out behind her, "Based on what I heard and felt _coming_ from _you_ last night, oh _bonded_ Maker of mine, one would think Sookie was a veritable Samurai in wielding _your_ sword." As she came to the doorway, she turned her head back to let out one last parting shot of, "This had better just be the _honeymoon phase_ or else I'm going to take a long vacation. Even that windy shithole farm of yours in Urland would be better than here."

_Pam never did wear her emotions well. Perhaps it was time to rip off a few more sleeves from her outfits to form the letters 'N' and 'V'. _

_Jealous twat._

She could go find her own buxom blond – the donor pool was certainly overflowing with them – but Sookie was all mine. The Ancient Pythoness had even said so, but Sookie only addressed Pam's comment in the form of a pinkish hue coloring her cheeks and otherwise ignored it entirely to ask excitedly, "Are you really going to teach me how to use a sword?"

I was admittedly worked up and like the addicted creature I'd become, I buried my nose against her skin and inhaled her tantalizing scent as I asked, "Did you not hear Pam, lover? I agree you're as skilled as any Samurai and humbly offer you the use of _my sword_ whenever you have need of it."

"Eric Northman!" she scolded me even while her body taunted me by pressing against me harder – thereby making _me_ harder. She ignored our mutual reaction to one another and continued on with, "You said it yourself. We seem to be getting a few extra hours to our day with you waking up so much earlier. Do you want to spend them all in bed and cross our fingers that no one is gonna come after me? Or do you want to help prepare me to be able to defend myself?"

_Fucking hell…_

Pride and shame warred within me over her blatant attempt at getting me back on track. She'd certainly used the right tactic in making me focus because her safety would always outweigh my need to fuck her senseless.

_What was it the Pythoness had said? Threads woven together forming a tapestry?_

More like _strings_. My bonded was certainly pulling mine.

Seeing as how she had my balls sufficiently yoked, I growled against my puppet master's neck, eliciting a soft laugh and several goose bumps from her, before standing and leading her into my new dojo. The door to enter the room blended in with the wall next to the bookshelves flanking the fireplace, so I wasn't surprised Sookie hadn't noticed it before and she followed me inside filled with wonderment as she took her first look around.

The walls were adorned with weaponry of all different types – from broadswords to smaller katanas, and daggers. I'd liked the look of Brazilian teak which was why I chose it for the flooring, but now that Sookie would be using it to practice her skill as well I would need to cover them with mats. Not only to cushion her inevitable falls, but because any moisture would bead up on the wood's surface and she could slip. I couldn't sweat, but I definitely intended on working one up on her.

_And then licking it off of her._

She was nearly the same size as Pam, so I chose one of her smaller swords for Sookie to use and started with the basics on how to hold it properly, what her stance should be and how she should strive to make her movements seamless. I showed her using one of my own swords how the weapon should become an extension of her body, moving it as though it was just another appendage and assuring her after time, it would feel as though it were as well. She took to it quickly, with her lithe young body moving as though she'd done this many times before, but I wasn't all that surprised after having enjoyed how well she could move across the dance floor.

_And my bed._

"This almost seems like second nature to you lover," I said, praising her skills. It was too soon to actually spar against one another, but I looked forward to it.

She blushed yet again and admitted, "Well, when I was stuck in Never Never Land, I used to watch the fairy guards practice sword fighting through my window. Even though I hated them at the time, I thought the way they moved was beautiful and I didn't have anything better to do, so I used to copy their actions in my room."

I could feel the twinge of regret running through her, but not knowing its cause, I asked, "Why are you feeling disheartened? You're doing very well."

I thought perhaps she was feeling guilt over not being able to be there for her grandmother or her idiot brother while she'd been trapped in their world, so I was surprised when she admitted, "I was such a fool Eric. I fought them every step of the way. Every effort they made at making me feel welcome or even just a simple attempt at opening a dialogue was met with hostility. If only I tried talking to them or just _listened_ to what they had to say, maybe things would've turned out better."

A foreign sense of insecurity flooded through me wondering if perhaps she was unhappy.

_Unhappy being with me._

She'd called the prophesy of our fated coupling _hippy tree hugger tapestry horseshit_ and while she'd seemed willing to bond with me at the time, I wondered if perhaps now she was having buyer's remorse. By completing our bond she was now ripe for the taking. We had knowingly taken the final steps necessary in order for the demons and Fae alike to rape her into mothering the antichrist. If she'd learned of their plans while still in the Fae realm, she could have made an informed decision as to whether or not she wanted to remain there. Without our bond, she would've been relatively safe.

_At least safer than she was now._

"You regret our bonding?" I softly asked, deluged by the despairing sorrow now inundating me.

"No!" she yelled out and dropped her sword to attach herself to me. "No Eric. I love you. I wouldn't change that for anything! I just meant that if I'd known about the danger I would have insisted they protect Gran and Jason."

I could feel the sincerity behind her words and it was enough to pull me back from the abyss, but as I got ahold of my emotions I realized something else.

_Sookie hadn't said the words out loud._

She couldn't have because the moment she embraced me her lips were on mine, using her kiss to like a life raft to save me from drowning in my own misery, and I pulled away in shock asking, "Lover? Did I just _hear_ your thoughts?"

I could feel her still probing my emotions and seeming to find them to her satisfactory, she grinned and asked, "Just now catching onto that, are you?"

"It's happened before?" I asked in disbelief.

Her eyebrow rose up just as she dropped to her knees and she licked her lips with her mouth hovering an inch away from my cock, saying, "Look at me lover."

_Only her lips hadn't moved._

Look at her I did and we spent the next hour practicing this wondrous new and advantageous skill while simultaneously ensuring the dojo would smell of our blood and cum for the foreseeable future. I would've thought our shared ability came from completing our bond, but Sookie was able to show me the first time it happened – watching my maiden blow job from her perspective was arousing to say the least – so it was no wonder I hadn't noticed then when it occurred. And being able to _talk_ to Sookie while my mouth was otherwise occupied gave _multitasking_ a whole new meaning.

Once my lover was thoroughly satisfied we showered and changed, but instead of heading for the office to relieve my still stewing child from having to _work_, I led Sookie towards the dining hall feeling her hunger. I didn't think anything of holding her hand as we walked through the palace until I noticed a succession of several odd stares from the staff and guards alike. Sookie either noticed as well or heard their thoughts because she began pulling her hand from mine and projected into my mind, "Sorry. I forgot."

I refused to let go of her and entwined our fingers once more, saying out loud so they could all hear, "I am the king. You are my bonded. They can all fuck off."

Propriety among vampires and their human companions was the least of my concerns and my invisible mark on her signifying our bond would be known by any supernatural that came upon her. Considering the threat she was under, I felt it was prudent to make my claim on her known. However it wasn't as though vampires sent out _'bonded announcements'_ or broadcast such unions in the local newspapers, so I would have to rely on the gossiping nature of the supernatural world to spread the word.

_Therefore everyone in the northern hemisphere should know by the next sunrise._

Once we were seated and her entrée was in front of her, Sookie looked up at me and asked, "When do you think we should contact…_my great-grandfather_?"

Even without any food in her mouth at the time, she still managed to choke on the words. I knew she didn't want to believe her grandmother would have strayed from her marriage, but there was no longer any doubt in my mind what Niall claimed had been true. I'd heard the Fae could sense their kin and had seen for myself his protective nature of her. He'd been prepared to end a vampire king which would have started another costly war between our two species – one neither side could afford to wage.

_The Prince of the Sky Fae wouldn't have bothered with her if she truly wasn't a Brigant._

Thankfully she hadn't said his name out loud because although we were alone in the room, that didn't mean we couldn't be overheard. While I wanted our bonded status known by all, I didn't want to add to her appeal by making her lineage public knowledge, nor did I want to inform anyone of her gifts.

_She was coveted by enough without her other powers being known._

"I'll leave word with him once we reach my office. Considering your display yesterday it shouldn't take much tutelage from him for you to be able to exert control over your new skillset. The only hindrance may be when I insist on being present during your lessons."

He was egotistical enough that I wouldn't put it past him to try and come to her during the daytime. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to wake from my daytime rest at will without feeling Sookie's panic or distress since we hadn't tested my limits yet. It was yet another item to add to our ever growing list of things to do, but it was also an ability I wasn't sure I wanted to be shared with the fairy.

_If they tried to take my lover during the day, I wanted the upper hand. Their stunned expression would be the last one they made before I relieved them of their head._

"I _heard_ that," Sookie mumbled, indulgently shaking her head at me as she took another bite of her food. I could feel her mulling over something, but it seemed I was unable to hear her thoughts unless she wanted me to. We were nearly even in that regard since Sookie had no real control over when she heard my thoughts unless I thought them directly at her, as we learned in the dojo, so I was left with no choice but to wait for her to speak them out loud when she finally said, "I can't even remember the last time I saw the sun. I don't know what that was in the sky back in Never Never Land, so I guess it was on the day he took me."

I could feel her sadness over the thought – either from her kidnapping or the lack of sunlight in her life – and while she'd said it had only felt like she'd been gone for a few weeks, we both knew it had been much longer than that.

"Would you like to see the sun again?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head and looking back down at her plate, replying, "It's not safe."

I reached across the table and tilted her head back up to face me, waiting until her eyes met mine, and said softly, "That's not what I asked, lover."

She blew out a frustrated breath of air and said, "Of course I'd like to see the sun again Eric, but how is that gonna happen? You said yourself it would be too dangerous for me to even go into Merlotte's at night when you'd be outside, so how am I going to go out in the daytime?"

Sookie was so adept at everything that I truly believed it would take no time at all for her to learn to use her new gifts at will, so I _might_ be able to allow her her time in the sun when she had perfected her shield. But, if my confidence in her aptitude was erroneous, could I deny my Princess of the Sky Fae her beloved sun?

_Could I truly deny her anything?_

My mind was already erecting borders within the palace's courtyard that I would have the best witches brought forth to cast wards to keep even the pollen from being able to touch her skin as I offered, "There might be a way." I gave her my explanation without words, projecting to her what I had in mind, and then verbally added, "Your Were guard could accompany you."

Sookie gasped out loud and sat up in her chair exclaiming, "Alcide! Eric, you don't have him still locked up, do you?"

My eyes narrowed at her feeling her concern from the wolf, but all I said was, "No." He'd been freed by the following day, but I'd had no use for him since that time once I decided I couldn't trust anyone else to keep Sookie safe.

_Which only made me question my thoughts from a moment earlier._

Her own eyes narrowed back at me in return, with her no doubt scrutinizing our tie searching for the truth of my claim, so I ignored her fruitless examination in favor of reading my messages on my phone. I'd felt a jolt of happiness from Pam and seeing her latest text made a smile appear on my face. It was enough to halt Sookie's exploration of our bond with her asking, "What is it?"

"My brother has arrived," I said and seeing her quizzical expression made me explain, "Not my brother by birth or even by blood, but he has been my brother in battle on many occasions over the years. I asked him to oversee Area Five when I took the throne and he's just now arrived."

Sookie smiled feeling my excitement and stood up, now finished with her meal, asking, "What's his name?"

We began walking towards my office as I replied, "He goes by Phil now, but when I first met him in Greece he was still considered a newborn and was going by his given name, Philandros. He was a born warrior." And I felt better having him close now knowing what we would soon be up against.

Her feet halted as she looked up at me with a wide grin on her face as she giggled out, "Seriously?" Raucous laughter overtook her as she barely managed to pant out, "As in _philanderer_? It's no surprise _you_ would have a brother with that name."

_A spade was a spade, I supposed._

She laughed so hard that we had to make a stop for her to use the bathroom with me waiting for her just outside of the doorway. I was happy, not only that my brother had finally arrived, but that we finally had a night when all hell hadn't broken loose. We needed the break, but just as Sookie shut the door behind herself my excitement over seeing my longtime friend quickly turned into shock.

_Because my Maker was walking towards me with a smaller, younger vampire in his wake._

My surprise had barely registered when suddenly I was forced to my knees.

_A Maker's call._

"How good of you to show your respect, my child, even now that you are a _king_," he crooned.

I tried to stem the panic that swept through me knowing Sookie was on the other side of the door and would surely feel what I was feeling. In my distressed state over his unexpected arrival, I couldn't pick up any emotions from her and my mouth and limbs were held in his vice-like grip, so all I could do was push my thoughts at her telling her to remain in the bathroom.

"Aren't you going to greet me, my son?" he asked, just as I felt his hold over my throat lessen.

"Master."

I tried not to make it sound like a question which it fucking was because I had no clue what in the hell he was doing there. He'd always been cruel – unusually so – and I had no doubt he would try to do something to Sookie once he found out I'd bonded myself to her.

_I'd kill him if it was the last thing I ever did._

The smaller vampire came up to stand alongside him, with Appius only acknowledging his presence with a tilt of his head in the boy's direction, saying, "Say hello to your brother, the king, Alexei."

"Hello brother," he grinned, with his fangs already down. Hearing his name, I realized why he looked so familiar to me.

_My sociopathic Maker had turned fucking Alexei Romanov, the last Tsarevich of Russia._

I knew he'd been ill with hemophilia when alive and spoiled because of it, but he was thought to be amongst the dead when his entire family had been massacred. Seeing the mad gleam in his eyes told me his turning hadn't made him any better off.

"Why are you here?" I asked, hoping perhaps he just wanted something as simple as money and I could easily be rid of him.

Alexei's face lifted as he scented the air in front of him and my still prone body tensed even more knowing what it was he was smelling.

_Sookie._

"I need your help," Appius said, ignoring his child as Alexei stalked towards the bathroom door. "Your brother is unwell and I think spending time with you will do him some good."

I couldn't ignore his wants if he commanded me to do so, but I needed him to free me so I could at least try and protect Sookie who would inevitably be opening that door. She hadn't replied to my unspoken order, so I shouldn't have been surprised when I could do nothing but watch as the door slowly opened. The thunderous, "NO!" barely left my lips as Alexei prepared to pounce on my unsuspecting bonded and Sookie's eyes widened in shock, with her hands barely having the time to light up, when a much quieter sound rang through the air.

The fairy had popped in right behind Sookie, grabbed her around the waist, and popped them both out of sight just as Alexei leapt into the now empty doorway.

**Thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**A/N: While some of you don't appreciate my penchant for cliffhangers, they do drive me to finish the next chapter because I'm anxious to see what'll happen next too. I post teasers for this story on my Wordpress page, so if you subscribe to that you would've seen who the fairy was a couple of days ago. The link is on my profile page if you're interested. I'll be working on finishing up the next chapters for The Great Repression and Counterfeit today, so if you're reading those as well, you'll be seeing something new for them soon. And for those of you who remember Tales From the Dead, that's come back to life in my word docs as well.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all, but in my mind's eye, Phil looks exactly like True Blood's Talbot, only he prefers female partners.**

Chapter Twenty

**SPOV**

Once the bathroom door was shut behind me, I couldn't get my pants down fast enough – Eric seemed much more adept at that _skill_ – and I was still giggling out loud at the name of Eric's brother of sorts.

_It made me wonder if they'd ever gone around using the aliases Romeo and Casanova. I'd have to ask._

My bladder was halfway to forgiving me when I heard Eric push some kind of Swedish gibberish into my head and it only made me laugh again, assuming it was some sort of rebuke for being so silly since I couldn't feel any amusement coming from him anymore. He could just bite me – literally – so I ignored him and finished up with my business, but after washing up, I opened the door and didn't know what to think.

_Nor did I even have the time to. _

Eric was on his knees and some little _'Children of the Corn'_ castoff kid was coming straight at me. I wasn't expecting it and I certainly wasn't prepared for it. My shock overrode my senses and my hands barely had the chance to tingle when I felt someone wrap their arms around me from behind and I was gone with the wind.

_Or Poof with the Fairy, as it seemed._

I knew what had happened to me the moment it occurred. Thanks to Niall, that sensation was permanently etched into my memories and, thanks to Niall, I automatically associated it with a bad thing.

A very bad thing.

I took no time at all in trying to get my bearings to see where I'd ended up. All I knew for certain was that I'd been taken away from Eric and the situation I'd left him to face alone hadn't given me the warm fuzzies. Eric kneeled for _no one_ – except maybe the Oracle woman and I didn't see here there – so I knew everything wasn't kosher. I was already reaching out to him through our bond as soon as my feet were on solid ground and I whipped my body around and shoved whoever it was behind me, giving them a healthy dose of my now charged up fairy whammy for their trouble.

The, "Oomph," had barely left her lips as she flew backwards when a gasp left mine seeing who my latest kidnapper was. While I felt the overwhelming urge to go to her and make sure she was okay, I didn't know for sure I could trust her. Niall had said we shouldn't trust _any_ fairies, but he'd allowed her to come to me when I'd been stuck in Never Never Land.

_But then again, he'd allowed Preston to come to me too._

"Claudine?" I asked with my bubble shield automatically snapping up around me.

_A day late and a dollar short there._

"Grandfather didn't tell me you were already so powerful," she smiled proudly, while slowing pulling herself up to her feet.

"Yeah, well he never said you'd be _popping_ by to _pop_ me away either."

Eric had been right. I _did_ need to learn how to control it because if she could take me, then any fairy could, but my emotions took a hit when I finally realized where we were. The graveyard looked the same as when I'd last been there on the night Eric had come for me, but rather than fall apart all over again, I tried not to think about it and asked, "What's going on? Why are we here? Why did you take me?"

Not knowing yet if she was a threat, my shield had yet to come down and she kept her distance, much like when she learned I didn't care for her company back in Never Never Land. I felt a little guilty now over the way I'd acted then and seeing Gran's grave had me thinking she'd likely tan my hide if she knew how awful I'd been towards my own kin, but my guilt turned to anger when she calmly explained, "You were in danger and as your fairy godmother it is my duty to keep you safe. Your bonded was incapacitated and his brother was about to attack you. This place is still shielded by some of the magic of our people and since you share the same blood as the vampire, he could use it to track you. You are safer here now that you are farther away."

_Eric was incapacitated?_

It was the only thing she'd said that kept my attention – I ignored the part where she'd implied I was Cinderella – and could only assume his brother Phil was the creepy kid who'd been coming at me. I'd be sure to light him up like the Fourth of July for his betrayal of Eric, but in order to _do_ that I needed to actually _be there_, so I looked at her and did my best Eric impersonation ordering, "Take me back there right now."

She gave me a look that clearly said I was a few sandwiches shy of a picnic basket as she said, "But there are _vampires_ there!"

_Duh!_

"Just what do you think _my bonded_ is?" I asked incredulously, but feeling Eric's panic over our now impossibly stretched bond had his blood in me reaching back for him. It made no difference to me if his brother could track me with his blood since I had every intention of ending him if it was the last thing I ever did. I didn't have the time to argue with her, but I also didn't know how or if I could even manage to get back to him on my own in time to help him. Fairy poofing wasn't a skill I had, but hearing her say she'd wanted to keep me safe and feeling the sincerity behind her words had me dropping my shield, swallowing my pride, and begging, "Please Claudine. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you before and I promise I'll do my best to make it up to you if you'll let me, but please…take me back to Eric. He's calling for me."

Seeing the tears form in my eyes had her lower lip pouting out with her looking distressed as she stared back at me, when she finally said, "I can't help you fight them if we return. I can't mask my scent as grandfather can and my presence would only inflame the situation. I took a great risk in coming to you when I did." Looking deep into my eyes her own softened as she added, "If you go back now, you'll be on your own."

"That's okay!" I exclaimed as I rushed towards her making her squeak in surprise and hold her hands up defensively. Realizing it was _me_ she was frightened of had me apologizing again, but I still grabbed her hands and said, "I'll take my chances. I just need you to take me back."

"You're sure, cousin?" she asked one last time and when I nodded her expression changed into resignation as I felt the pull in my gut of her magic starting to take hold, but before we left, I hugged her in my arms and said, "I truly am sorry for the way I acted before and I thank you for coming to my rescue. I would like the chance to get to know you better if you'll have me…cousin."

I'd been replaying my time in captivity while Eric and I had been in the dojo earlier and considering all of my other freaky powers that had come to light I could no longer deny I was one of them. Whether it came from Gran's indiscretions or somewhere else in my family tree didn't matter to me anymore. The fact remained they were my kin and I'd been running out of them long before Niall had come along.

Claudine looked down at me with a smile and hugged me back as she said, "I look forward to it cousin," and the next thing I knew we were right outside of Eric's chambers. "This is as close as I dare get," she explained and then smiled softly saying, "Now remember, you are a Brigant, Princess of the Sky Fae. Trust in yourself and show them what happens when they fuck with what is ours. Good luck cousin," she added before poofing away again.

I didn't take the time to think about anything, nor did I bother to grab the sword I'd used earlier from his dojo. Eric had already told me his brother had fought alongside him in battles before. I assumed he was nearly as old as him and knew I'd be no match for him, so I just took off running towards where I'd last left them.

_Let's see how he fairs against a pissed off bonded fairy._

My feet were impossibly loud as I skittered through the palace hallways back towards the bathroom, but they slid to a halt as my eyes took in the scene when I finally got there. I peeked around the corner taking in the regular palace guards who flanked the walls as spectators, wondering why they weren't doing anything to help him when I saw Eric was still on his knees, but his vampire brother was being held by another vampire I'd never seen before. He was handsome, with dark hair and eyes and a slender frame, but I could tell he was much stronger than he looked. However what had me panicking was seeing yet another unfamiliar vampire who oozed pure evil, shorter in stature than the new vamp and Eric, but I knew he was a force to be reckoned with. The stake he held was pressed against her chest where blood was already pooling on her shirt, with his other hand curled around Pam's throat while she hung limply in his grasp, as though she knew there was no point in trying to fight him off. Hopefully she was just waiting for her chance to put a beat down on him. After all she was pragmatic, just like her Maker.

_And for the simple fact he dared to harm my bonded's child and my best friend, his life would be forfeit._

Even as I felt his relief at seeing me, more Swedish filled my head from Eric – I now assumed he was too alarmed to think in English, but I ignored him. I felt my invisible shield automatically surround him as soon as I saw him and it seemed to make him mobile again because he automatically rose up from his knees, only for the vampire holding Pam to look at him in shock, asking, "How?"

I wondered if he had some sort of strange magic of his own to have kept Eric pinned down and considering what he was doing to Pam, I didn't feel the need to be gracious and didn't wait for anyone to acknowledge me as I stepped into open view, saying to him, "Let her go."

My hands felt like I'd been holding a jackhammer for hours, vibrating like nobody's business on the inside, but to the outside observer they were calm and steady. I felt like I had when Niall had threatened Eric and knew I could knock him clear into next week if I tried, but I didn't want to chance it while he still had Pam in his hands. Seeing me, his eyes widened even more as he sniffed the air, only voicing a mixture of question and fact by saying, "Fairy."

Now wasn't the time for me to yammer on about being a Stackhouse because being a proud southern woman wasn't going to get us out of this mess. Like Claudine had said, I knew it was my fairy side that I needed to embrace and even though Eric had wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, embrace it I did. I lifted my chin towards him and smugly declared, "Fairy _princess._"

_That was me – Sookierella._

Eric still felt panicked on the inside as he ordered, "Sookie, go back to my chambers. Now."

His eyes hardened back at me when I pushed the, "As if!" into his head, but he'd drawn the other vampire's eyes back to him as he asked Eric, "You have a fairy?"

My ingrained southern manners were wanting to faint dead away at what I was about to do, but I sloughed them off entirely. Fuck him. I was a goddamned fairy princess – or so everyone kept telling me – so I moved to stand in between them, saying, "He has a _bonded_ fairy princess and unless you want a war with my people, you will let his child go."

Of course I had no idea if _my people_ would go to war with vampires just on my say so alone, but he didn't know that.

"_His child?_" he seethed. His fangs were dripping as his grip tightened on Pam's neck while he bellowed, "_He is MY CHILD!_"

_Uh oh…HE was Eric's Maker? I guess that explained the power he had over him._

It also explained why no one was doing anything to try and help Pam. As Eric's Maker, they wouldn't dare interfere unless Eric ordered them to and I wasn't even sure if he could. Eric had never spoken of him before, but after seeing the way he and Pam got along, I had assumed his relationship with his own Maker would be the same. Clearly I was wrong because I knew Eric would never hurt Pam's child.

My eyes never left Pam's assailant as I pushed into Eric's head, "I want to kill him for what he's doing to Pam, but I won't if you tell me not to."

I didn't know how he'd feel about me killing his vampire father, but a part of me was prepared to beg for his forgiveness if he said no. There was no way I could stand idly by and watch Pam be ended no matter who the man was to him. Eric's emotional state felt like a teeming anthill, but thankfully he didn't hesitate in pushing back, "Do it if you can. I seem to be free of his command while inside of your shield, but I don't know if I'll be able to reach through it to do it myself. None of the guards are any match for him and he could kill Pam before I can get to her." His earlier panic turned into a deluge of pure rage as he thought, "He'll try to take you now that he knows what you are. What you are _to me_."

I chanced a glace to see Eric's brother was still snarling at me, struggling to break free from the arms of the vampire who was still holding him, but he only tightened his grasp and shushed him with undisguised amusement, saying, "Quiet now. This is better than the Muhammad Ali/Joe Frazier bout in '75."

_Huh?_

I still didn't know who he was, but he seemed to be on our side so I ignored him and did the only thing I could think of to try and get Eric's Maker to let go of Pam. I knew Eric assumed I'd be trying to take him out from a distance, like I'd done to Niall, but there was no way I'd risk it if Pam could be hurt. Stepping towards him, I cast my eyes downward and dropped to my knees submissively in front of him, saying softly, "I offer myself in exchange for his child."

I knew Eric couldn't leave the bubble that was protecting him so he couldn't stop me and I was far enough away that his Maker couldn't reach for me without taking at least one step. He'd have to drop at least one of his hands from Pam in order to make a grab for me, so I dropped my own shield just in case he wanted to get his hands on me first before letting her go.

Half of my ploy worked and when I finally felt his cold hand painfully grip my arm as he jerked me to my feet, Eric's roar of "NO!" drowned out the sound of the stake I saw fall to the floor. However he hadn't let go of Pam's throat, but now she was finally trying to fight him off the both of us, so I grabbed one of her hands in my own, willing our contact to protect her, as I placed my other hand over his heart.

His fangs were already poised to strike, but shock quickly took over his face as I forced my light into his chest. Fissures broke through his skin as that same light worked its way through his body and his now frightened glowing eyes met my own as I snarled, "You were wrong. Eric is no longer your child. He is _my bonded_."

Pam and I fell to the floor together as his body erupted like Mount Saint Helens with ash exploding everywhere, swirling in the air above before slowly falling down around us like snow. I looked over at her through the flakes, asking, "Are you alright?" She appeared unharmed by my Maker Baker, but seeing her laugh with relief and lie down on the floor, sliding her outstretched arms and legs through the pile of residue now surrounding us, had me adding, "What are you doing?"

"Making ash angels," she laughed. "This outfit was ruined anyway and it never snows enough in Louisiana."

I started to laugh too, feeling a little relieved myself, when I heard Eric yell out a harsh, "Sookie!" My head spun back around to see he was still trapped in my shield, so I dropped it and was suddenly surrounded in another whirlwind of ash, hoisted up off the floor and completely engulfed by an angry vampire king. I wasn't sure if it was leftover rage or if he'd had second thoughts seeing me explode his Maker, but my fears were put to rest when his fingers ran over my upper arm as he snarled, "He _bruised_ you."

_Seriously?_

Considering Pam still had a _hole_ healing on her chest, I didn't think a _bruise_ rated very high on the list of battle wounds. Of course I couldn't argue over that fact because the next thing I knew Eric's bloody wrist was at my lips as he ordered, "Drink!"

Feeling his concern is the only reason I took two pulls from his wrist to appease him as I stroked him, both with my hands and through our bond, to let him know I really was unharmed. I couldn't deny I felt just as concerned about him, so when I finally pulled away, I asked, "Are you okay?"

He practically had a strangle hold of our bond while he probed every part of me with his blood running through my veins and when he was finally satisfied he sighed, "Yes, lover. I am…" He paused as he looked down at Pam's perfectly formed ash angel and smiled, ending with, "Free."

The sound of yet another snarl drew both of our attention and seeing his traitor brother had me snarling in return. I was still feeling Eric's bloodlust along with a bit of my own and my eyes flicked up at Eric when I asked, "Do you want to kill Phil or shall I?"

The new vampire who still held his brother widened his eyes as he moved the smaller vampire in front of his body like a shield and asked, "What did _I_ do to incur your wrath milady?" His lips cocked up into a smile when his eyes flirtatiously traveled over the length of my body and added, "Please forgive me for not offering you my hand. As you can see they are quite full at the moment, but I would ask one favor of you. If you plan on sending me to my final death in the same fashion, I would like for _you_ to be the one to make an angel in my ashes. I have a feeling my brother won't be up for sharing and it is likely the only way I'll get your body on mine."

He ended with a waggle of his eyebrows and pursed his lips to make a kissing sound. I felt nothing but confusion, but Eric only felt amusement – and a twinge of possessiveness – when he smiled down at me asking, "Well lover, will you be ending him and granting his final wish? If he keeps talking he's likely to die from putting his foot in his mouth anyway."

I stared back at the handsome vampire, ignoring the smaller one still trying to get to me, and asked, "You're Phil?" When he nodded, I turned to Eric and said out loud what I was sure he could feel. "I'm confused. Claudine said it was your brother who was coming at me, so I assumed…"

His eyes hardened hearing her name – I'd told him about her from my time in Never Never Land, but he only explained, "Alexei was made vampire by my Maker, Appius. That is to whom she was referring."

_Eric's Maker was named Appius? More like Ashius now…_

Phil unnecessarily cleared his throat, bringing our eyes back to him to see a twinkle in his own when he said, "Speaking of which. What would you like to be done with him, _my king_?"

He was so small. He couldn't have been but thirteen or fourteen years old when he'd been turned, but I had no idea if that was why he seemed so uncontrollable. I could only imagine he was the end result of what happened when you were turned at a time when your hormones were in full bloom, but the closest thing I could liken him to was a rabid animal.

_And I knew there was only one way to deal with those._

Still, his physical appearance looked to be that of a child and now that I was calming down from the melee, my own rage was gone. His brother in arms hadn't betrayed him. It was his brother in blood who had come after me, so I turned my face into Eric's chest to hide my eyes when I heard his order of, "End him."

We didn't dilly dally after that with Eric ordering his guards to see to the cleanup while the four of us headed to Eric's office. Even Pam was foregoing a shower and change of clothes because she was just as eager to hear what had happened to me when I'd been poofed away, as I was to hear what had happened to them while I'd been poofed.

_The life of a small town barmaid had taken a strange turn indeed._

Considering it was three against one, I had no choice but to tell my story first. Eric interrupted me at the start to reprimand me for not staying in the bathroom. That went over like a fart in church, so I told him the next time he should think in _English_ and then _maybe_ I'd listen. He was both hostile and intrigued when I told him where Claudine had popped me away to and how she'd said that land was safer for me to be on, but he remained quiet as I told them the rest, ending with her popping me back to the palace. Every time I looked at Phil he would just wink and pat his lap, offering me a place to sit, but his ill-timed and outrageous flirting only put me more at ease around him. I knew he had to be very close to Eric for him to get away with it and Pam's face held undisguised glee as her head whipped back and forth between Eric's occasional glare and his aptly named brother, like she was watching a Wimbledon match.

Eric ignored them both to just concentrate on me and I listened with rapt attention as he started by saying, "I was surprised by my Maker's arrival. He has been blocking our bond for years, so I only knew he still lived." He went on to explain why he'd come, hoping for Eric to do something about his feral child, and then how he was sure I would be dead when he saw Alexei leap towards me. His look said it all when he said I needed to practice my shielding. He'd never willingly let me go to Bon Temps to see Jason alone, even in the relative safety of Merlotte's, if I couldn't protect myself and the fact Claudine had been able to grab me was enough to convince me he was right. Never mind what could've happened had Alexei gotten his hands on me.

Pam picked up the story next, saying, "I felt Eric's…_distress_ while talking to Flirt," with her eyes moving to Phil, "so we tracked him down, but Grandpappy snatched me as soon as Philander snatched his beloved little Russian ruffian. It was a Mexican standoff until you showed up, my favorite fatal fairy."

Before tonight I would've complained over her 'fairy' label, or at the very least had a snarky reply in return, but it was too soon. I'd been so worried about her that I couldn't even joke about what might have happened, so instead I peeled myself off of Eric's lap and walked over to throw my arms around Pam. Sniffling the tears back I only said, "I'm glad I could help, sister."

That was exactly what she felt like to me – a sister. She was my family and I could've done no less to try and keep her safe. Of course Pam froze hearing the emotion in my voice, but still she hugged me back as she said, "Damn. If you view me as a sister then you'll never agree to fuck me."

I pulled away to laugh – it was just what I needed to hear for the tears to dry up – and when I glanced at Phil he was quick to raise his hands up and say, "I would prefer it if you did not think of me as your brother if it means _I_ would have the opportunity to fu…" but Eric interrupted him with a not so playful growl before he had the chance to finish that sentence.

_I guess it might be too soon for him too._

**Thanks for reading and to all of you Guest reviewers too! If you were signed in and left a review for the last chapter, but didn't get a review reply - your PM's are disabled.**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**A/N: I'm a horrible updater…and I'm sorry. That is all. Or not, because I also need to remind you of the Super Secret Swedish Speak in italicized quotation marks below.**

**DISCLAIMER: Charlaine Harris owns them all which is why I'll undoubtedly chew my fingernails into bloody stubs come May until one of you all read the last book and tell me who Sookie ends up with. *frets***

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><p><em>When we last left off:<em>

We didn't dilly dally after that with Eric ordering his guards to see to the cleanup while the four of us headed to Eric's office. Even Pam was foregoing a shower and change of clothes because she was just as eager to hear what had happened to me when I'd been poofed away, as I was to hear what had happened to them while I'd been poofed.

_The life of a small town barmaid had taken a strange turn indeed._

Considering it was three against one, I had no choice but to tell my story first. Eric interrupted me at the start to reprimand me for not staying in the bathroom. That went over like a fart in church, so I told him the next time he should think in _English_ and then _maybe_ I'd listen. He was both hostile and intrigued when I told him where Claudine had popped me away to and how she'd said that land was safer for me to be on, but he remained quiet as I told them the rest, ending with her popping me back to the palace. Every time I looked at Phil he would just wink and pat his lap, offering me a place to sit, but his ill-timed and outrageous flirting only put me more at ease around him. I knew he had to be very close to Eric for him to get away with it and Pam's face held undisguised glee as her head whipped back and forth between Eric's occasional glare and his aptly named brother, like she was watching a Wimbledon match.

Eric ignored them both to just concentrate on me and I listened with rapt attention as he started by saying, "I was surprised by my Maker's arrival. He has been blocking our bond for years, so I only knew he still lived." He went on to explain why he'd come, hoping for Eric to do something about his feral child, and then how he was sure I would be dead when he saw Alexei leap towards me. His look said it all when he said I needed to practice my shielding. He'd never willingly let me go to Bon Temps to see Jason alone, even in the relative safety of Merlotte's, if I couldn't protect myself and the fact Claudine had been able to grab me was enough to convince me he was right. Never mind what could've happened had Alexei gotten his hands on me.

Pam picked up the story next, saying, "I felt Eric's…_distress_ while talking to Flirt," with her eyes moving to Phil, "so we tracked him down, but Grandpappy snatched me as soon as Philander snatched his beloved little Russian ruffian. It was a Mexican standoff until you showed up, my favorite fatal fairy."

Before tonight I would've complained over her 'fairy' label, or at the very least had a snarky reply in return, but it was too soon. I'd been so worried about her that I couldn't even joke about what might have happened, so instead I peeled myself off of Eric's lap and walked over to throw my arms around Pam. Sniffling the tears back I only said, "I'm glad I could help, sister."

That was exactly what she felt like to me – a sister. She was my family and I could've done no less to try and keep her safe. Of course Pam froze hearing the emotion in my voice, but still she hugged me back as she said, "Damn. If you view me as a sister then you'll never agree to fuck me."

I pulled away to laugh – it was just what I needed to hear for the tears to dry up – and when I glanced at Phil he was quick to raise his hands up and say, "I would prefer it if you did not think of me as your brother if it means _I_ would have the opportunity to fu…" but Eric interrupted him with a not so playful growl before he had the chance to finish that sentence.

_I guess it might be too soon for him too._

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><p>Chapter Twenty-One<p>

**EPOV**

The unexpected emotional upheaval from the night's events were still running through me, pinging back and forth between the extremes of relief and rage in their purest forms, so I did the one thing I knew would settle me. In the blink of an eye I had Sookie's warm body back in my arms, relishing the beat of her heart against my silent chest, with its hypnotic rhythm slowly but surely lulling the beast within me back into tranquility. I'd become so attuned to the sound over the previous weeks I was sure I could pick it out from miles away well before we'd completed our bond. The lack of hearing it had only corroborated what my eyes had seen when the fairy had popped her away.

My emphatic belief that I could protect her from those who would harm her was shattered the moment I'd laid eyes on my Maker and instead she had been the one to save us all. And while I was comforted she'd been able to do so, receiving no more than a bruise for her selfless and courageous act, I now had yet another worry to contend with that hadn't occurred to me before now. Appius was one less adversary we would have to face in the coming days, but was he the only one who would be able to best me? It made me question now whether we would be forced to confront yet another foe – one who could overpower me. One who could take her away from me and do unthinkable horrors to her – horrors I couldn't allow my mind to ponder because of the unbearable pain those thoughts would bring with them if they ever came to fruition.

_Could I be enough to protect her?_

I hugged my blond-haired Achilles' heel closer to my body having never felt as weak as I did now. Not even when Appius had _forced me_ to learn my place as his newborn child. Sookie must have felt the utter powerlessness now flowing through me – and I felt even weaker realizing I'd unknowingly shown her that side of me – because she pushed her own feelings of love and determination through our bond while silently projecting into my mind, _'Alone, we're weaker. Together we're unstoppable.'_

It wasn't so much her words as it was the strength of her conviction that slowly led me to feeling it as if it were my own. Her faith in our unity being able to overcome any threat to either one of us ebbed away at my fear of her subjection by another faceless being more powerful than me, little by little until there was nothing left but the memory of it. It was a memory I would not forget, but instead of wallowing in distress I resolved to use it to my advantage. To drive me to take any and all steps needed – to leave no stone unturned in searching for our enemies and striking when they least expected on _my terms_. To stay one step ahead of any and every mother fucker who dared to even _think_ of touching my bonded, so that when all was said and done I could willingly stay one step behind her, enjoying the view of her hips' sway, as I followed her into eternity.

My hands automatically traveled downward to grasp onto those hips with a very different feeling now surging through me and Pam's uttered, "Jesus Christ…_again_?" was the last thing we heard as I flew us to my chambers, but scenting the lingering smell of fae made me pause at the entryway as my fangs snapped down with my eyes darting around the entrance looking for our invisible foe.

Sookie tensed in my arms feeling the rigidity of my body and in answer to her unspoken question, I softly snarled, "Fairy."

Again, the scent held no draw for me other than the desire to rend the creature limb from limb, but Sookie's apprehension disappeared, distracting me both with her hands and lips as she attempted to recapture our previous mood while she explained, "Claudine. This is where she popped me back into the palace."

_Enough said…_

I wasted no more time in getting us through the door and into our room, startling Hund with our sudden appearance on the bed beside him and causing Sookie to laugh aloud when he screeched, with his hair standing on end, before streaking from the room. Hearing the joyous sound from her lips only served to remind me how close I'd come to never hearing it again and my impatience in getting her undressed only added more literal threads to our figurative tapestry. I wanted to look at the wondrous creature underneath me, gloriously naked and perfect in every way but even so, I couldn't bear to part my body from hers and instead covered her completely, shrouding her from everything but me.

Except for what equated to less than a few minutes apart thanks to her timely – and not quite _unwelcome_ – fairy kin, Sookie and I had been in each other's continual presence for days. The last time we had been parted at all was when Pam had accompanied her to dinner prior to Cataliades arrival, but at least then it had been tempered by her close proximity. Now that our bond was complete, feeling it stretch the distance to Bon Temps had been nearly unbearable, both from the unknown of what her fate might be to the fact I couldn't be certain I may possibly prefer it to knowing what her fate _would be_ if Appius had been able to get his hands on her.

_And he had been able to do so anyway, as evidenced by the bruise now healed on her arm._

Our bond had completely overridden my logic by reaching out to her, demanding her return despite the danger I knew she would be in if and when she did. It made me wonder now if we'd ever be able to be parted for any length of time, but it made no difference considering I would never allow her to leave my sight again.

_She could huff and puff and blow the whole palace down around us. I didn't care how much indignation she could muster up so long as she did it from the safety of my arms._

Just thinking about it again made me cage my body around hers, with the beast inside of me growling out in warning at the danger that no longer existed in that moment, but only my purr of contentment could be heard. Whether she read it from my mind, my actions, or our bond, Sookie's hands wound their way into my hair, with both her fingers and her blood flowing through my veins stroking me back into serenity.

A portion of my mind knew there were other things I should be doing – other things I should be concerned with given the implosion of our once peaceful night. My palace guard had witnessed firsthand my previously presumed 'human pet' was in actuality my bonded fairy princess – smugly so on her behalf, at that. I'd paid no mind to their presence then because she had been my only focus, but now I should be worrying about making sure of their loyalty to me and mine while keeping their mouths in check. The rumor mill was already likely to be churning at maximum power by now, but instead of trying to stifle the uproar and bury the evidence, I was trying to bury myself inside of her.

My priorities were admittedly skewed, but fuck it. They were _my_ priorities.

The thrumming of her heart drew my lips like a moth to a flame, so I leaned down and kissed that piece of her she had given to me. Before Sookie had come into my life, love was an abstract – if not _absurd_ – concept. I never understood the need to make ones' self so vulnerable. I didn't believe in the overwhelming power it had to either bolster or cripple the beholder, but now it was irrefutable. The love I had for the vexing young woman underneath me had the ability to both render me invincible and completely incapacitate me. There wasn't anything I wouldn't do to protect her and if I failed, I had no doubt it would utterly destroy me. Kingdoms; The Fellowship; demons and fae; none of them mattered so long as I had her safe and sound, and as I reverently worshipped the pulsing spot underneath my lips, I let every other thought slip away – for she _was_ safe and sound.

_And she would remain that way._

Another pulsing spot within her body drew both my attention and my lips on a downward trek, with her thighs muffling the sound of her cries as my tongue thrust inside of her, marking her as mine with my saliva just as thoroughly as my blood that flowed in her veins. Licking against the beating from within, I was so focused on her body's reaction that I didn't notice at first the overwhelming scent of fairy that emanated from her pores. More alluring than any full-blooded fae – more irresistible than anything I could ever recall in my existence, but even in my clouded mind I knew it wasn't from an unseen intruder. I knew all too well from the night of our bonding the scent was distinctly Sookie.

My growl of approval only furthered her lustful state thanks to the vibration of my lips against her tender flesh and I barely had the wherewithal to pull back in time when I could no longer keep my fangs in check. They itched to sink into her skin, but I somehow stayed the urge with my only desire being to give her whatever she needed while selfishly taking whatever she offered me in return. A millennium of self-centeredness had been replaced with a single aspiration – to make Sookie happy in any and every aspect – to fulfill her every wish, but as I brought her to the release she was so desperate to have I realized my altruism wasn't as selfless as I'd previously thought.

_After all, watching her come undone from my own actions was certainly no hardship._

Heat radiated from her skin with my own cold body absorbing it like the sun's rays I could scarcely remember and I reveled in every ounce of it as I slithered my way back up her body, internally cursing my still clothed state for coming between me and her warmth. I righted that wrong a second later by ripping myself free of the woven threads, but it was feeling her own hearty dose of lust shooting through our tie that did me in. What little willpower I managed to hold onto disappeared just as quickly as my clothing. I hadn't even realized I'd been holding myself back until I felt my control slip away and in the blink of an eye I was on her – _in her_. My fangs and cock firmly planted inside of her warm depths, marking her in every way possible. Even as my body and mouth worked unforgivably against her small frame, my mind at least issued its silent plea asking her for forgiveness. I couldn't stop myself and while I could feel her own pleasure at my actions, I still felt a shred of regret having never taken her like this before. Sookie deserved to be worshipped in any and every way, but my own instincts demanded I claim her – body, mind, and soul – they were all mine, but I knew the true prize was her heart. By gifting me with that fragile piece of herself she'd both yoked me and set me free, but I would be eternally grateful nonetheless. And I would destroy any and all comers who would dare try to take her from me, attempting to deny me what was rightfully mine.

'I am yours,' she silently conveyed with her miraculous powers and as my body slowed with my consciousness regaining ground over my possessive needs, I slowly pulled back to look down upon her. With bloodied fangs and a feral snarl still on my lips, my eyes met her own and in that instant the predator became the prey as every shred of innocence she ever had was gone as she verbally declared, "And you're _mine_."

Her own possessive feelings ran through me like an electrical charge, leaving behind a tingling sensation as they collided with my own, but before I could even comprehend what I was feeling I was suddenly underneath her. White light had literally exploded from her hands, leaving me unharmed while forcing me onto my back as she leapt on top of me and impaled herself on my cock and another growl ripped its way from my throat watching my lover claim me just as furiously as I had done moments earlier. My eyes slid over her golden skin, from her full breasts glistening with her narcotizing scent to her slight waist and the sensual flare of her hips. My inner beast howled with unrestrained glee while my hands grabbed onto them, helping her along, and when I could no longer take not feeling more of her skin pressed against my own, my hands slid up her back as I sat up to mold myself against her. I'd been with thousands – men and women alike – and yet no one had ever come close to making me feel the things my bonded could. I doubted the Ancient Pythoness had meant she'd been made for me in _this _way, but it was still just as accurate. Not just in the way our bodies fit together, but in the way she managed to feed me everything she was feeling. The love, the lust, the affection – it was all there for me to bathe myself in just as her pussy bathed my cock with her cum and my own body was demanding I give in to her silent command to let myself go, but I wasn't ready for it to end. I never wanted it to end because here and now there were no foes. No forces who threatened to tear us apart. Here and now it was just the two of us and I preferred that above all else.

She could feel me holding back, but my bonded was nothing if not tenacious and she added an eye roll inducing twist of her hips as she ground herself down on me with every plunge of her hips. I was nearing my breaking point when images suddenly flooded into my mind, making me freeze but for a moment until my confusion gave way to understanding.

They were _her_ memories.

Seeing myself on my knees through her eyes, restrained by my Maker's invisible tether and unable to do anything against it, could've brought back my feelings of helplessness were it not for feeling Sookie's overwhelming rage.

And blind possession.

I relived Appius' declaration that I was his from her perspective and it would seem that my bonded was just as furious at the thought of anyone else laying claim to me. I was lost in the sensations of the familiar and similar emotions we each seemed to possess where the other was concerned, with it only feeding my need more than ever to mark her as mine. However when she pressed her face against my neck and sank her teeth into my flesh, it was her first draw of my blood that was my undoing and rendered me incapable of stopping the torrent of cum that now bathed her in my scent from the inside out. The whole world seemed to explode, just as our two bodies had, and then fell away like ash.

_Just as my Maker had._

I doubted even the strongest magic could've separated us in that moment and I only realized I too had bitten into her when the addictive flavor of her blood exploded on my tongue. I didn't stop to think. It was impossible for me to form any rational thought and I gave into my instinctual needs, consuming her as she consumed me.

'_MINE!'_ our silent voices seemed to shout through our bond, with neither one of us able to pull away from the other. I was hyper aware of her. Sensitized to the point I could feel every tremor of her body – every beat of her heart – as if it were my own. It was how I knew she didn't feel weakened by the amount of blood I had already consumed and it felt real enough that I had no choice but to release her neck from the snare of my teeth when I felt her need to breathe.

Because it felt as if it were my own lungs burning for air.

We pulled back from one another with each of us panting in deep breaths only one of us actually needed and while I pondered over the oddity of the forgotten sensation coursing through me, she managed to speak first by breathing out a whispered, "Wow."

"Indeed," I agreed when I could manage to speak again.

'_Wow' didn't even begin to cover it._

"_Indeed!" _Pam repeated through the door._ "Now if you're done reuniting your cum, Uncle is wondering if you'll be coming back out tonight or if you'll be holed up in Sookie's hole for the rest of the evening. Just so you know, I have a Benjamin riding on you riding Sookie until daybreak."_

Sookie's eyes narrowed hearing Pam's voice even as she chuckled, saying, "I heard my name, but I have a feeling I don't want to know the rest."

"Indeed," I repeated with a grin and tossed her back down onto the bed to enjoy her giggling naked body for a few more moments before we inevitably had to redress and address life as we knew it.

"_You owe me a hundred dollars Philandros!"_ Pam sang on her way back out of my chambers making me realize my brother wouldn't be able to get in.

"What's she gibber jabbing about?" Sookie laughed out, feeling tickled by my nose skimming across her skin until her breath caught in her throat feeling my tongue slide its way across her neck.

"She is mocking my brother," I replied absentmindedly against the shell of her ear before begrudgingly pulling away from her addictive body. I knew we couldn't stay hidden away forever, but that didn't make parting from her any easier. For now, at least, I was somewhat mollified that my scent - both _on_ and _in_ her body – nearly overpowered her own. When her quizzical eyes met mine, I explained, "I'm afraid we've left him waiting since he cannot enter my chambers, so I think it would be best if we got dressed now lover. But if it makes you feel any better, we're about to make Pam poorer by a hundred dollars."

_The money meant nothing – she would probably use mine to pay him, but it made me feel better on principle alone._

I watched Sookie's eyes grow as wide as her embarrassment – which rose to new levels – and she started pulling herself from the bed, saying, "Gran would tan my hide for being so…so…"

My warrior fairy princess turned seductress had reverted back into a southern belle, but each had their own merits. This side of her I enjoyed immensely, so I offered with a chuckle, "Horny?" with the latter syllable being muffled by the pillow she used to smack me in my face.

_Her reflexes were much faster now._

"Graceless," she huffed, feeling both amused and only mildly irritated, but more so at herself than over my comment.

"That's where you're wrong, lover," I called out at her retreating back.

_Watching her naked body glide across the room and into the closet, she was nothing but grace personified._

And I blamed my Sookie-induced stupor on why I was then knocked over by the hundred and ninety pound weight that was my brother.

"Brother, it's been _ages_ since we've had a slumber party!" he said happily, bouncing his body on top of my own and nearly vaulting us from the mattress in the process.

"How did you get in?" I asked, again muffled by a pillow since he had me pinned face down on the bed.

_At least my need for air had ceased._

"I'm a poor loser. You know that. I can't let Pam win and something tells me your little fairy princess won't be willing to let me watch, so you'll have no choice but to rejoin the living. Well…" he snickered, "You know what I mean."

I threw him off of me only to sit up and feel Sookie's silent laughter, but when I caught my reflection in the mirror I could see why.

_Sex hair took on a whole new meaning when it involved sex with my bonded._

While I ran my hands through my hair I saw she was fully dressed again in a simple tee and jeans, but the sound of Phil's fangs snapping down only preceded Pam's arrival at the now open door of our bedroom by a split second. I didn't have to wonder why when Pam just shook her head while breathing in deeply through her nose and sounding anything but dour as she declared, "The smell in here is obscene."

"Pam!" Sookie admonished as her previously declining embarrassment rose up again.

"More like _appetizing_," Phil purred and patted the spot next to him on the mattress while looking at my bonded as if he weren't in danger of losing his eyes.

Pam quickly took that spot, but before I could feel gratified, she then gave Sookie a just as thorough eye-fuck saying, "Mmhmm…and I'm suddenly feeling _famished_."

_If she kept it up, it wouldn't be ALL she would be feeling. _

"Did you all eat?" Sookie asked, trying to maintain some shred of dignity in the company of our ignominious fools.

"Are…" Phil began to say before she cut him off with a wag of her finger, interrupting with an amused, "And before you ask, no, I'm not offering myself on the menu."

"Pity," he said forlornly before looking over at me with a now cheerful gleam in his eyes, saying, "But Pammy tells me she's not the _only_ fairy you have, she's just the only one you'd kill me over. Willing to share the other, brother?"

_Why had I thought we needed to rejoin them?_

As I stared back at him, my mind finally unclouded enough for me repeat my earlier question of, "How did you get in here? You've never had my blood."

Other than my finally dead Maker and my child, no one other than Sookie had ever had my blood so he shouldn't have been able to enter my chambers.

_Fucking witches…_

"I don't know," he shrugged. "One minute I was pulling my wallet out at your child's _premature_ behest and the next I sensed the magical barrier outside your chamber doors falling away, so here I am." His head turned towards Pam when he grinned and added, "I believe _you_ owe _me_ a hundred dollars."

Seeing the two of them together, I now remembered why it had taken me so long to call him to my side. When paired with my child, the two of them were capable of making my head spin, so I was grateful hearing Sookie's voice break into the madness, hesitantly asking, "Maybe it was me?"

"Maybe what was you, lover?" I asked. I started to stand up from the bed when Sookie shot towards me like a bullet and threw my robe over my naked body, while practically screeching my name. She knew well enough by now that vampires had no modesty and it wasn't anything either Phil or Pam hadn't already seen many times before, but I could feel the same tendrils of possessiveness sparking out of her as earlier.

_And it was making me hard. A fact my robe could not hide._

Our eyes were locked onto one another's with our mutual lust shooting back and forth through our bond. I barely heard Phil's proclamation of, "You weren't kidding," and Pam's reply of, "No shit. Why do you think I bet you?" when Phil effectively killed the mood by jumping onto my lap and declaring, "Sorry. Sore loser – that's me. Now unless you're willing to get rid of me by offering your other fairy up, then you two knock it off."

I was contemplating killing him when Sookie shook off her own lust and answered my forgotten question by saying, "Maybe it was me that let Phil in. That oracle woman said it was my fault that Preston was able to get in here because I wanted him to be. When I was getting dressed all I kept thinking was I didn't want Phil to be left waiting outside." Her spoken words ended there, but she silently projected to me, 'I thought it would be nice if he could come in too, but I didn't want him to have your blood.' Her feelings of ownership burst through our bond once again, but knowing _exactly _how she felt, I couldn't begrudge her. As my bonded, my blood belonged to her just as her blood belonged to me and it seemed neither one of us was inclined to share. When she realized we were still silently communicating, she offered aloud, "So maybe that's how he got in?"

It made sense – in the loosest sense considering how fucked up everything seemed to be as of late – but hearing the two of them still whisper-bickering over the terms of their bet made me wonder if her gift worked both ways. I pushed Phil off of me and in deference to Sookie, put on my robe before standing up and walking over to her side. Grabbing her hand in my own – and feeling ridiculously complete as soon as her fingers entwined with mine – I pushed my silent request into her head asking, 'See if you can wish them both out, lover. Un-invite them…for now.'

She only hesitated for a second before turning to face them and we both laughed out loud watching as they fought against the invisible magic until realization dawned on them hearing our maniacal laughter. They each gave in – not that they had any choice – and allowed themselves to be pulled through the door as though their invitation had been rescinded from a human home.

_And we left them out there as we took an extra-long and extra dirty shower together._

As we dressed Sookie explained again how her cousin had declared the land of her former homestead to be safer due to whatever fairy magic still lingered there and I resolved to speak to Niall about it, as well as having him tutor my lover on her powers. My mind continued to churn over the possibilities as we went in search of our two outcasts and we found them in my office, both of them still jokingly bickering over who owed who money, but the appearance of one of my guards at the doorway thankfully brought it to an end.

Colin was a very skilled warrior which is why he had been chosen to head the palace guard. He also knew better than to bow towards me – I hated that shit – and instead only kept his eyes trained on the floor in front of my desk until I acknowledged him, as he knocked once and said, "Majesty?"

"What is it?" I asked, hoping 'it' wasn't anything urgent or damning.

The night had been full enough.

"There's a human at the gate wishing to speak with your…your…"

He wasn't ever one to mince words, much less stammer, but when his eyes darted over to Sookie, letting me know exactly who he was talking about, I thought perhaps his apprehension was based on his earlier firsthand account of her powers when Pam laughed out, "Yes, your majesty…I believe you've previously declared our dear Sookie as your _Royal Courtesan_. Tell me, does that title still hold true?"

Colin appeared to be relieved Pam had been the one to pose the question, so it appeared she'd guessed right. Not just Colin but the entire guard had heard Sookie declare herself to be my bonded fairy princess, so they all knew by now she was much more than just any courtesan. But I felt irritated when Sookie didn't feel _any_ irritation in hearing her former false title, so I let my eyes meet each of theirs before coming to rest on Sookie's when I said, "No. She is your Queen."

_And there was the irritation I'd come to expect._

Before she could argue with me, I turned back to the Colin and barked, "Who is it that wants to speak with _your Queen_?"

There _always_ seemed to be a human at the gate who wanted entry into the palace – be it for political, business, or _other_ reasons – but hearing my bonded had been requested made me go on alert. I thought perhaps it was her Shifter who'd come looking for her when it occurred to me the guard wouldn't have referred to him as 'a human', but I'd come to wish it was the mongrel who made my lover stink of dog when Colin spoke up again and replied, "He claims to be her brother, your majesty. The name on his ID is Jason Stackhouse."

Sookie's irritation at me quickly morphed into hesitation and worry, with a huge dash of hope added into the mix, but my own irritation only continued to grow in the absence of hers.

_And I didn't know whether to feel elated or disappointed that I might get my chance to kill him before the night was through._

**I'd say I'm sorry for the sort-of-cliffhanger, but I'm not. I need them in order to drive me to hurry up with the next chapter because it doesn't really matter if there aren't any groceries in the house when a pizza is just a phone app away. The next chapter is already a third of the way done, so I'll post the teaser for that soon, but first I need to work on TGR. Until next time…Thanks for reading!**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**I am the most epic fail in the history of epic fails when it comes to updating this story. Sorry about that and I can't promise I won't have yet another apology to make by the time I get the next chapter finished. But while my Stay muse decides which way it's going to go, I managed to make headway on this. **

_**A recap: Eric is the King of Louisiana and Sookie was kidnapped by Niall after the AP told him she was in danger. He left her in Eric's care when his palace was attacked. Some harsh truths and a little sexual tension later, they bonded to one another after falling in love. The AP tells them Sookie will be coveted for being a Fae hybrid who has demon blood and the essential spark. Any fairy or demon who impregnated her would be able to travel freely between realms and could start the war to end all wars. In the meantime Jason was convicted of murdering Gran and has since become a member of the Fellowship. Eric's longtime friend Phil has come, initially to be the new sheriff of Area 5, but I like him too much to send him away. Steve Newlin bailed Jason out when the judge got a case of vampire hate and decided Jason was due a retrial. At the end of the last chapter he had just shown up at the palace and asked to see Sookie.**_

_***Reminder - Italicized sentences within quotation marks are super secret Swedish speak.***_

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine.**

Chapter Twenty-Two

**SPOV**

_Jason?_

For a second I wondered why he would come all the way to New Orleans to see me, remembering when he'd literally disowned me just a few nights earlier, but then I remembered that…well…he _couldn't_ remember. Eric had ordered the guard to wipe his memory clean of our visit, but now I had some hope that maybe we could actually reconcile.

Maybe he'd just been angry since he was still locked up when we'd visited.

Maybe now that he was free he would just be happy to know I was alright.

My head automatically turned towards Eric and I could tell _he_ wasn't too happy about Jason being there, but I also knew better than to argue with him in front of the one of his guards.

_I wouldn't disrespect him that way._

_But you could be damn sure I would fill his head with my complaints if he said no._

'I want to see him,' I silently pushed into his head.

'I know,' he pushed back.

We sat there in a silent stare-off while Eric filled my mind with pictures of the last time I'd seen my brother. Reliving through his memories how sad I was and how worried that had made him, but to me the man in Eric's recollections wasn't my brother at all. While similar in appearance, that man was a vile and hateful creature. He was nothing like the boy I'd grown up with – the brother I loved, laughed, cried, played, and argued with – so I sent back my own memory movie reel in response.

_Jason taking the training wheels off of my bike when I was five, only because I begged him to, and then trying to teach me how to ride it. He had to carry me home when I fell over and hurt my leg, getting a spanking for his troubles, but it didn't stop him from taking me right back out and trying again as soon as I felt better._

_Jason taking me to fish at the pond out behind our parents' house on the day after their funeral where we both cried into each other's arms and then how he cheered for me later on when I caught my first fish._

_Jason finding me, crying all alone one afternoon, during my freshman year of high school, because no one asked 'Crazy Sookie' to the Homecoming Dance that night. He was the captain of the football team and had throngs of girls wanting to be with him, but instead of going to the dance, he took me out in his truck and taught me to drive a stick shift._

_It had been one of the best nights of my life._

'Don't you see?' I silently pleaded. 'No matter what…_that_ is how I'll always remember my brother. I love him Eric and I know somewhere deep down, he still loves me too.'

"Give us a few moments," Eric finally said out loud to the room, with his eyes never leaving my own. As soon as Pam shut the door behind her and Phil, he sighed and explained, "I do not want you alone with him. I do not trust him to not harm you. The fact he's here at all and asking for you tells me that he knows you've been keeping the company of vampires. His reaction will likely be the same as before." His eyes took on an intensity I could feel just as strongly coursing through our bond when he added, "I love you Sookie. We are fully bonded now. What I feel for you, I have no words to describe. But I can say with absolute certainty, if your brother was to strike you again, I will undoubtedly kill him myself."

Eric was never one to mince words, but I couldn't be mad at him for them. So much had changed and in so little time – me included. It had only been days earlier that I had been clutching at Eric's arm and begging him not to hurt my brother. Begged and pleaded with Jason to still love me – to forgive me for something I had no control over – only to be shunned by his hatred.

And it wasn't the first time he'd rejected me.

If I insisted on going down memory lane, then I couldn't ignore it wasn't paved with rainbows and sunshine. I knew deep down Jason had loved me growing up, but he'd had his fair share of moments when he'd spurned me too. I'd always been known as Crazy Sookie and even though his own sense of family made him stick up for me, that didn't mean he didn't sometimes feel the same way. That he didn't hold what I had no control over against me. Even if he hadn't told me on more than one occasion that he wished he'd had a normal sister, I always heard it loud and clear in his thoughts.

Did I really believe now would be so different?

Eric was right when he'd said my brother had changed. I'd seen it with my own two eyes and heard it from his very thoughts on the night we'd gone to see him.

Would getting me back be enough for him to let go of his hatred?

Family meant everything to me, but I couldn't deny even to myself the membership had changed. I loved my brother. I truly did and I would do nearly anything I could to try and mend our relationship, but I couldn't truthfully say I would do it at any cost. All I had to do was close my eyes and imagine a scenario in which I could only choose one to live while the other would die to know there was no one more important to me than Eric.

I'd choose him every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Hell, I had exploded the equivalent of Eric's vampire dad only hours before because – among other things – he'd dared to call my bonded _his_. I could only imagine with my hotheaded temper, I had the potential to explode the entire palace in my fury if someone actually _hurt_ Eric. Hokey pokey tapestry horseshit or not, my connection to him ran deeper than anything I could describe either. Milky white oracle eyes apparently worked like x-ray vision because I really did feel like Eric was my other half.

Literally.

Not even in a swoony romantic sense, but if I had to describe it I would say it was as though my soul knew his. When our bond was completed it was like the sense of coming home after having been away for far too long. Fate or not; demons and fairies and build-a-baby realm skeleton keys; wars to end all wars – none of it mattered to me, so long as I had Eric.

And it was when that thought filtered through my head that I knew what I needed to do.

If I had to give up on trying to have a relationship with my brother for now, I would have to accept it. I had more to worry about than whether or not he could accept this new me. I barely even knew who the new me was and Jason had already proven his intolerance for the abnormal long before vampires had ever stepped out of the shadows.

Besides, if I chose not to see him now, I would likely be extending his life. I didn't doubt Eric's words he would kill my brother. Not when I could feel the sincerity behind his warning. I couldn't even get upset with him for it.

How could I when I knew I would do the same?

"Send him away," I finally sighed, resigned that it was in everyone's best interest. "But can you have someone glamour him to find out how he even knew I was here?"

I hated the thought he could be there under the guise of wanting to see me only to spy on Eric for the Fellowship, but it was certainly a possibility considering who had paid his bail.

Eric nodded, pleased with my request and yet still subdued, probably because I was feeling that way too, and asked, "What would you like for him to be told in regards to you?"

Well that was the million dollar question.

Cheesy soap opera amnesia story?

A three hour tour turned year and a half stay on Gilligan's Island?

I was poofed away by our fairy great-grandfather into Never Never Land?

Finally, I said, "Make him believe whatever he was told was all a big mistake. The woman who lives here looks a lot like me, but it turned out it wasn't. When we come up with a plausible story, I'll go to him. It'll be better if we do it on our terms."

I could feel Eric's pride coursing through him, but feeling my sadness over turning away my own brother, he merely hugged me and said, "I'm sorry it hurts you, lover. I'll do all that I can to see you reunited, but I agree that time should not be now."

His hand reached towards the phone on his desk to carry out our decision when I stopped him by saying, "Do you think it would be better if I at least _tried_ to listen to him?"

While Jason had already shown he was susceptible to glamour at the prison, that didn't mean he couldn't still keep secrets. Whoever glamoured him would have to be very specific when asking him questions, but I could hear every thought in his head if they just asked him.

"Pam could ask him a few questions while I'm in the next room, listening to everything he _isn't_ saying," I offered. I wanted to see him, but I knew it would be a bad idea. Even if they erased his memories of seeing me again, they couldn't erase my own.

I wasn't that much of a glutton for punishment that I wanted to subject myself to that all over again when we didn't know where he stood.

Eric looked like he wanted to argue with me and while I might've agreed all of the supernatural threats against us were daunting enough on their own, I didn't think that meant we should discount the human threat.

And I didn't want to view my brother as a threat, but his association with Steve Newlin made it impossible to overlook, so I reminded him of it by saying, "The Fellowship paid for his bail. They could've sent him here to get information on you."

Like Hugo.

And like Hugo, my brother had better get the same amnesty he was afforded if that was the case.

While we had our silent stare-off – a tie in the end – I could only assume he dialed-a-child by calling Pam when she strolled back into the room saying, "I'm not your beck and call bitch, Eric. Either let me stay and witness your pussywhip firsthand or pick up a phone and call your bitch Burnham to fetch your coffee."

He glared at her in return and ordered, "You will have Sookie's brother brought to the outer office where you will question him as to his reasons for being here and why he believes Sookie is at the palace. You will not use glamour, nor will you confirm her whereabouts to him, and are to await further instructions. And, for your insubordination, when you are through, you will acquire your own beck and call bitch by placing a call to Alaska. I believe you are ready to try having _a pet_ of your own. A _ginger_ salmon will do nicely, don't you think?"

"_I think your grumpy ass is due for another dose of Vamprin,"_ she muttered, walking back out of the room and shutting the door behind her.

I wanted to remind them how rude it was to speak in other languages around me. I wanted to ask if a pet salmon would be considered punishment because of how big of a fish tank it would need and inform them they couldn't be trained to come when called like a dog could. Pam seemed more like an angel fish type of gal to me – or even a clown fish – but I said nothing instead because I could hear Jason coming towards us.

'_Creepy as fuck vampers.'_

Well that didn't bode well.

While my external hearing was better thanks to having Eric's blood, it wasn't up to the same snuff as vampires, so I got up and pressed my ear against the door so I could hear what was said.

"Jason Stackhouse," Pam began. "While our kind can be both fast and furious, if you're here to audition for a role in some action packed car chase movie, I believe you're about nineteen hundred miles southeast of where you want to be."

Huh. I guess Jason did look a little Vin Diesel-ish now.

Jason didn't get Pam's sense of humor or the movie star resemblance and only thought, _'Huh? How'd she know what I was feelin' drivin' down here?'_ _Creepy fuckin' fangers.'_

Aloud, he explained, "I been away awhile," _in prison, thanks to you sorry fuckin' pieces a shit,_ "And when I got back, a friend a mine said I could find my sister here. Sookie Stackhouse."

Sam Merlotte.

Sam told him where he could find me. I could see in Jason's memories how Sam had pulled him aside when he walked into Merlotte's with Hoyt and told him in hushed whispers where I was. I could tell from the expression on Sam's face he thought he was doing right by me and Jason, but I could strangle him for it anyway. Sam might not have been told the reasons why I'd disappeared, but I thought we'd made it pretty darn clear that I was in danger.

Why on earth had he thought I would want my brother dragged into it without asking me first?

Pam followed up with, "Describe her to me," and when he was through – leaving out the parts where I was _'disabled'_ and _'ain't too bright'_ – she purred, "Well she sounds simply _scrumptious_, but unfamiliar. My mind is a vault, so I'm sure I would remember her though." Using a slightly raised voice, she added, "If _I_ had her here, _I_ certainly wouldn't be wasting the night away in my office asking _boring questions_ when I could be gorging myself between her thighs."

Oh for Pete's sake…

Jason's mental _'Eww'_ echoed my own, while Eric picked up his phone and spoke too fast into it for me to catch it all. But I was able to pick out the words 'flight', 'tomorrow', and 'ginger'.

No 'fish tank' though.

But Jason's next thought brought me back from my mental trip to Petsmart when he thought, _'Newlin hadn't a been kiddin'. These fangers are an aboriginal…an abominable…what was it he said again? Oh yeah. An Obama nation, whatever that means. I seen the guy on Oprah one day over at Gran's. Maybe he's one a them sympathizers? _

Seriously? _Now_ who ain't too bright?

I slapped the mental dunce hat onto my brother's head and then wanted to slap him for real when he went on to think about how excited Newlin had been to learn his sister was living with the head vamp in Louisiana. Instead of running straight to New Orleans to find his sister who'd been missing for a year and a half, Jason had called him as soon as he got back to Hoyt's house.

After he'd shot a round of pool and drank a pitcher of beer.

Jason wasn't there for me. He was there for Newlin and the Fellowship's cause. He hadn't even planned on trying to talk me into coming home with him because I was _'already a lost cause'_ and _'a fangbangin' whore'_ who would be more useful to them if I stayed right where I was, so Jason would have a reason to visit me and gather more information about Eric. Newlin told him they had big plans for Louisiana, but Jason didn't know what they were yet.

But he didn't care. In his mind, I was no longer his sister.

"Send him away," I whispered as I slumped against the door. "Glamour him to believe I was never here. That it was all a mistake."

Just like it was a mistake to believe my brother truly had come because he missed me.

Eric was at my side in an instant, pulling me into his arms and using a normal speaking voice when he said, _"Glamour him into believing Sookie was never here and send the idiot away before I snatch his balls through his throat and kill him where he stands."_

Whatever it was he'd said, I was sure Pam could hear him just fine. By that point I didn't care I couldn't understand a word of it. I was just grateful Jason's thoughts had finally dwindled down into nothing when Pam's influence took over his mind, but whatever he'd said, I knew Eric wouldn't hurt him.

Not yet anyways.

"What did you hear, lover?" Eric whispered into my ear once they were gone and he had me in his arms on the couch.

Even though I probably shouldn't have, I waited an extra amount of time to give him an answer, thinking Jason could use the head start to get farther away from Eric. Eventually I said, "Sam told him where I was."

The growl bubbling up in Eric's chest told me Sam was pretty lucky to be far away from Eric right now too.

But I ignored it and explained, "Sam thought he was doing a good thing. He knew how much Jason had wanted to find me and he didn't have any clue how much Jason had changed. Sam wouldn't have told him anything if he'd known…if he suspected…" I took a deep breath and pushed back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes as I admitted, "If he knew Jason would run home and call Steve Newlin."

Pam and Phil walked in then, so I told all of them everything else I'd heard.

And I ignored the coincidence that I'd spoken very fast and Eric was quite furious.

Phil let his fangs snap down, drawing my eyes to his face in time to see him run his tongue over one when he looked at me and offered, "For this I am willing to forego trying to fuck you and be your brother instead. I will kill your brother in name only on your command. He is not worthy of being your kin."

Well that was sweet, sort of. Refraining from trying to fornicate his way towards his true death – because I had a feeling, brother or not, Eric would kill him if he really tried – while offering to off the one who hurt me was probably a pretty honorable thing in their circles.

But I didn't want Jason killed. I wanted my old brother back. He may have been flawed back then too, but I'd gladly deal with that version of him over how he was now. He hadn't hated me then. He just wished I was normal.

I had wished for the very same thing back then, so I couldn't hold it against him.

But now I was just angry. Angry that someone like Steve Newlin had weaseled their way into my vulnerable and easily swayed brother's life. He didn't care about Jason. He was just using him.

And pardon my French, but it pissed me the fuck off.

"What if we did the same thing?" I asked no one in particular. "What if we use my being Jason's sister to find out what The Fellowship is up to? You may have glamoured away Jason's memories, but Newlin still knows what Jason told him. I could call him. Invite him back and say it was all a big mix up. Play into his plans to use me and feed him false information, while learning what their plans are."

Our bond smacked me with Eric's silent, 'No!', so I smacked him back with my verbal, "It's a good idea. I'm not saying I should go to him or even meet up with him alone. I can have him visit me here during the day and have Alcide with me. Jason always thought I was just a little crazy. He never really believed I could read minds, so he'll have no reason to think something's up. I can even act like I'm the dutiful little fangbanger sycophant he thinks I am, so he won't suspect a thing and we can get the upper hand on whatever Newlin has planned. But if you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

We silently eye fought with one another for long enough that I heard Pam whisper, "This is better than Survivor. Do you want to bet again? We can go double or nothing. I think Eric's balls are about to be voted off the island."

Eric's eyes narrowed even further upon hearing his child cast her vote, while I fought the laughter bubbling up inside of me, as Phil said, "I never bet against a sure thing." His next question was for Eric when he asked, "Would you like to phone a friend, brother?"

Both Phil and Pam made a show of gabbing to one another on their finger phones – Phil even waited patiently while Pam answered her call waiting to confirm her order of two shiny new balls for her maker – when Eric finally reached over and picked up the real phone on his desk, barking into the receiver, "Have Herveaux come to my office. Now."

I lost the fight with my smile now that I'd won the battle, but Eric didn't return it when he said, "At no time will you be left alone with your brother. If he attempts to lay a hand on you the Were will kill him. You will meet with him near sunset and within the confines of the palace so I can come to you if needed. You will only get one shot. If _anything_ happens and you are injured in any way, I will remove your access to the security system in my lair and you'll never leave it again without me."

I supposed my feathers could've been ruffled over his threat of locking me away in a gilded cage, but I knew how much it was costing him to agree. I could feel the warring going on inside of him. His need to keep me close. To keep me safe.

Eric wasn't trying to exercise his control over me.

He was giving up control over his own wants and needs to give this to me.

"My temper is a bit more fairytale fiery too," I reminded him. "I'll huff and I'll puff and blow my brother down myself if he even looks at me wrong."

"Sister?" Phil asked. "If I look at you right, will you just blow me?"

"Uncle," Pam interrupted and possibly saving his life, when Eric's fangs snapped down hearing his question. "I think you'll have better results if you just rub the lava lamp in your pants. I doubt a genie will pop out of it, but I'm sure _something_ will. You can even name it Spoogkie."

"Oh Pammy…don't act like you don't know firsthand just what cums when you rub me the right way," he smirked. "If you'll recall, we both do."

Given the look on her face, if Pam could've blushed, I was sure she would be bright red. And because this situation was akin to seeing Halley's Comet pass on by, I couldn't stop myself from adding to her awkward by saying, "Pam doesn't forget anything. You have a vault, right?"

"She does," Eric added, loosening up now that he wasn't at the brunt of their teasing. "And it doesn't lock at her knees."

"Why do you think I prefer the fairer sex now, uncle?" she asked, finally unlocking her voice, just as she'd apparently unlocked her knees for Phil at some point in the past. "I've sucked clits that were bigger than that little match stick you call a dick."

Turning his eyes down towards his lap, Phil asked, "Do you hear how she speaks of you Ladon?"

He named his match stick Ladon?

"Ladon was the serpent like dragon that wrapped around the tree in the Garden of Hesperides, guarding the golden apples," Phil replied, turning _me_ bright red since I must have asked the question out loud. "And he's done quite well guarding _my_ golden apples for many centuries. Care for a bite of the forbidden fruit, my queen?"

A loud knock at the door kept me from having to answer and thankfully halted my lesson in Dragon Lore 101 as Alcide stepped into the room at Eric's barked out, "Enter."

The crude banter had done its job at lessening the tension we'd all been feeling after my brother's visit, but still.

I doubted I'd be able to eat another apple ever again.

**Thanks for reading! **


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**This quick turnaround is in part thanks to yet another song hijacking my muse. You'll figure out fairly quickly what it was, but I'm sure I'll be returning to irregularly unscheduled updates any time now. Italicized secret Swedish speak still applies. Oh...and I guess I should issue a violence warning for down below. So warning! Violence down below! **

**DISCLAIMER: Not mine.**

Chapter Twenty-Three

**EPOV**

It took a thousand years of practice to keep my face neutral. To keep a steady hand, as I steadied my bond with Sookie, doing my best to keep it on an even keel while I gave the Were his orders.

But my need to rend and tear – to shred and kill – clawed away at my insides like nothing else ever had.

The cause for my muted savagery – my lover's brother – could be located fairly easily. The asshole practically oozed the scent of cheap beer and cheaper women. My brother was right when he said the cocksucker wasn't worthy of being her kin. He had no honor. In his eyes we were nothing but monsters and yet he had no issue with leaving his only sister with our kind. Selling her out on the delusions of a madman like Newlin, with her paying the price of whatever sadistic tortures he imagined we would bestow on her.

He had no idea of the cruelty my imagination could conjure, but he would find out.

One day.

Were it not for my child and the even larger one I thought of as my brother, I doubted I would've been able to remain seated, much less calmed enough to feign a playful mood and participate in their back and forth banter. Their inanity was a good distraction for Sookie and I was grateful for it. But I would much rather be fileted with a silver knife than be sequestered away with them for any amount of time.

After being hunkered down with them for only a few nights due to the Haiphong Typhoon in 1881 – our happenstance in Vietnam thanks to Pam's craving for _something exotic_ – my eye still twitched and my hands itched for a stake whenever anyone even _hummed_ the melody to 'Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall.'

"_I've__ left you a present downstairs. Happy Father's Day, Daddy!"_

Sookie gave us both a glare, but returned to her conversation with the Were, so I turned to my child and said, _"A new silk shirt or a diamond encrusted cock ring. Neither will get you out of your fishing trip."_

"_Can I have the cock ring?"_ Phil asked, while Pam scowled at the reminder. _"Pammy can use it to propose to me and then we can go on couples' dates! The girls can commiserate over their neglectful husbands while we pretend we're not checking out our server's ass."_

"_You're an ass,"_ Pam snarled. _"The only proposal you'll get from me is offering to implant my shoe in your ass."_

"_Baby, you know I like it rough," _he purred._ "Don't tease…"_

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall…ninety-nine bottles of beer…

"_Any cock ring that would fit Eric would fall right back off of your always-a-bridesmaid-never-a-bride ring finger. Inky dinky pinky ring finger."_

Take one down and pass it around…ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall.

"Must you?" Sookie huffed once the Were was gone, turning to face us so we could all be graced with her harsh expression. "It's _rude_ to speak in a language everyone in the room doesn't understand. How many times do I have to say it?"

Sighing, I smiled, "I think ninety-nine is the magic number, lover."

And it wasn't so bad when I replaced the bottles of beer with the imagery of bodies of Jason's.

Her narrowed eyes turned on me exclusively with her reply of, "Well I think I'm getting close."

"And speaking of _close_," Pam interjected and looked to me. "You're cutting it close. Your meeting with Indiana downstairs is only in a few minutes, so you should get going. Uncle and I will see Mommy back to your chambers until you return."

Indiana?

Why the fuck would I be meeting with Indiana?

Before I could say anything, Pam stood up and pulled Sookie alongside her, wrapping her arm around Sookie's shoulder, and said, "And while we're waiting we can teach you some Swedish."

"We'll start with the dirty words, since I have a feeling my brother would appreciate hearing those come from your lips the most," Phil added.

I could feel the tendrils of curiosity reach through our bond, but they only mirrored my own over Pam's less than forthcoming explanation. While we'd barely been separated at all recently – at least not of our own free will – Sookie had already become accustomed to knowing there were times when business between vampires was just that.

Between vampires.

I had no clue as to what Crowe could want from me, but the less unknown variables Sookie was subjected to, the better. But in all honestly, I only allowed them to lead her away from me because Phil had been mostly right.

I would do more than appreciate hearing my lover talk dirty to me in Swedish.

And I would make sure to reward her for each and every one uttered from her lips.

I still had no idea what Pam was talking about, but assumed Indiana was in some way involved with 'my present'. And considering which way Bartlett Crowe leaned, a diamond encrusted cock ring wouldn't be that far of a stretch.

But I'd stretch Pam clear across the palace if that was what I found waiting for me.

Only the dungeons and the infirmary were kept downstairs and I scowled as I descended the steps, recalling the current fairy inhabitant on one side and the sideburned suckass missing from the other. With every downward step I made, the weight of the long night pressed down further on my shoulders.

The insane vampire child, my even crazier maker had made, nearly attacking my bonded.

My lover offering herself up to that same crazy bastard, to save not just me or herself, but to save my child as well.

Even reliving the feeling of my tie to him vanishing, when she succeeded at what many others had failed to do for two thousand years by giving him his true death, wasn't enough to make me feel any less encumbered.

I needed a release only bloodshed could provide me.

Thinking perhaps Crowe was there to make an offer for the fairy – I'd accept a penny a pound for him at that point – I was only left more confused when I reached the bottom of the stairs and saw my first clue.

In the form of a bright pink poster board tacked to the wall, adorned with glittered letters and an arrow pointing to the left towards the cells, saying, "This way…"

The fairy was the only prisoner left in the dungeons, now that I'd released the wolf and skinned the cat, so my assumptions seemed all the more plausible until I came up to Sigebert standing guard all alone. The fairy either feigned sleep or was too weak from the iron bars surrounding him to lift his head, but I knew he wasn't dead. And given my internal rage, he could be just moments later if he chose to fuck with me on this night of all nights. But with no other glitter to guide me – cock rings or crowned kings included – I looked to the Saxon who merely jerked his head towards the far end of the hall with a grunt.

I did more than grunt at what I found waiting for me.

And I quickly locked down my bond with Sookie, while the beast inside of me howled with delight.

Strapped to the wall where the Weretiger once stood was something much better than I could have imagined. Above the frail old man's head was a banner made up of cardstock letters linked together by tiny rivets and spelled out the word, 'Surprise!' Multi-colored streamers hung in ringlets, dangling from his cuffed wrists and ankles. And instead of the clichéd flickering single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, a strobe light Pam must have traveled back to 1970 to retrieve was mounted in one corner, bathing the room in a slowly changing kaleidoscope of primary colors. The only other movement in the room was from the dozen helium filled balloons in various colors that were anchored to each wrist, softly rustling above my guest.

A garish multi-hued clown wig was askew on the top of his head and given the entire room looked as though a unicorn had vomited across the length of it, I wondered if perhaps Pam's appreciation for the demon girl messengers ran deeper than I knew.

He stood completely naked except for the paper picture of a tailless donkey taped to his torso, with the pins and paper tails awaiting my arrival for the party to start, off to one side.

I didn't have to ask who he was. I knew without ever having seen his face before.

And I should have known something like this could happen once I'd activated Pam's party planner setting by placing her in charge of my coronation, but she'd truly outdone herself. I'd have to remember to cancel Ginger's flight. For this my child was getting a whole new wardrobe.

His eyes were closed, but his breathing was labored so I didn't believe him to be asleep. Even so, I stalked forward, making no noise at all, until we were nose to nose. He smelled of death and stale urine, but he could've smelled like the honeyed mead of my past and not been a more welcome presence to my senses. His heart rate remained even throughout my silent exploration, so I knew he hadn't heard my entry.

Finally alerting him to my presence, I was overcome with a whole new appreciation for the song still humming away on a continuous loop in my mind and stayed just a hair's breadth away from him as I softly crooned, "Ninety-nine Bartlett's are here on my wall. Ninety-nine Bartlett's are here…"

His head jerked up at the unexpected serenade and smacked against the cinder block wall behind him. He hissed in pain, showing me his mouthful of missing and/or yellow stained teeth, before he slumped forward again. But he left one eye open as he breathed out, "Where am I? Who are you? What do you want with me?"

He shivered seeing my predatory fanged smile – a smile born of the knowledge he still had his mental faculties.

His comprehension would make the party that much more fun.

Reaching over, I grabbed one of the paper tails, showing it to him like I was Vanna fucking White before I stood tall and closed my eyes. Spinning myself around fast enough to make _him_ dizzy, I stopped on a dime and jabbed the pin dead center into his chest, smiling wider hearing him yelp in pain, as I pleasantly explained, "You are the star guest at my Father's Day celebration. You see my child is a very good girl. She knows the meaning of family. She knows what it is to have love and respect for those she cares about, having learned to do so by receiving those very same things from the one whose job it was to care for her. Me."

Leaning forward again so my face was millimeters from his own, I whispered, "But that is how it should be, don't you agree? Children should learn love and respect from their elders?" Filling my hands with more paper tails, I punctuated each of my next statements by jabbing each one into his body, while adding, "To feel _safe_ in the presence of their family. To feel _protected_ from harm by those they share blood with." Stabbing the remaining two into each of his eyes, I ended with, "And to not be looked at like defenseless prey by those they should be able to trust the most."

More piss ran down his legs, while bloody tear tracks ran down his face, and I gave him a few moments to adjust to the pain, allowing him to believe perhaps the worst had passed and the party was over. Now that he could no longer see, it made my next move all the more enjoyable when I popped one of the balloons tied to his wrist.

He jumped and gasped for air like he'd just been shot, so I repeated the process, having enjoyed it enough to want to see it all over again.

His erratic heartbeat was music to my ears.

While I had closed down my bond with Sookie as much as possible, it was impossible to shut it off completely. I would never do such a thing anyway, but I was able to feel her amusement – likely at whatever Pam and Phil were filling her head with – and I hoped it would be enough to distract her from feeling my bloodlust.

But I was lusting for more blood than the small pin pricks the jackass in front of me was bleeding, so I picked up one of the knives kept in the cell and picked up my earlier song, singing out, "Ninety-eight Bartlett's are here on my wall…ninety-eight Bartlett's are here…" Gripping his right ear in between my thumb and forefinger, I sliced it away from his head with the sharpened blade and had to increase my volume to be heard over his screams, as I sang, "Cut one part down and pass it around…ninety-seven Bartlett's can't hear on my wall."

I continued to portion him off, piece by piece, altering my lyrics as I went and alerting him through song why he was there. Reminding him of his crimes against a defenseless child, made all the more horrific with her gift of telepathy, so she would be forced to hear every depraved thought he had, while he physically forced himself on her. I made sure to keep track of his vitals, not wanting his premature death to end my party before I was ready, and further amused myself by making a patchwork likeness of him on the wall beside his body, using the bloodied parts I cut away and sticking them against the flat surface.

My handiwork could be viewed as an homage to the likes of Jackson Pollack and Buffalo Bill, but I smiled already able to hear Pam's accusation I was creating my own Mr. Potato Head.

When I knew he only had moments left before his heart would finally give out, I made peace with the knowledge he hadn't gotten away with violating my bonded by cutting away the final piece of him that precipitated his sins against her. Not caring I was soiling my hands further by touching his soiled body parts, I held his dick and balls hostage in my grip and let the reality of his situation sink in before saying, "You won't be needing these where you're going."

Instead of ripping them off, I chose to cut them away slowly – methodically – and listened beyond his screams to his heart thundering in his chest before his body finally slumped forward as it thumped its last beat.

Standing back, I studied my best work to date and committed it to memory so I could relish it for all of eternity. The rainbow clown wig was still askew, held on only by the now dried blood that spurted out when I decided my cinder block Bartlett landscape needed eyebrows, and the red stained paper tails stuck into his eyes were now stuck to his cheeks as well. There was no skin left on his face, with the meat and tendons underneath now showing through, but his body resembled a puzzle now missing a few pieces. Fingers. Toes. Nipples and now genitals, among them.

There simply wasn't enough of him to cut away ninety-nine pieces before his heart gave out, but I'd given it my best shot.

Finally having the opportunity to expend some of my rage over Sookie's sorry lot in life when it came to her kin, I felt somewhat at peace. If her revered Gran had still been alive, I might not have inflicted the same kind of punishment on her, but she would be well aware of my displeasure over her keeping my bonded's heritage a secret. Even if she hadn't quite connected the dots in her mind, Sookie had already said the words aloud to the demon lawyer. Dressing him down for inflicting her with a gift that was just as much a curse and given no help to control it. No explanation as to why she was so extraordinary until after she'd been forced to suffer it alone.

In my eyes, her grandmother was just as culpable.

But all I had left now was her brother. Already living on borrowed time, I felt settled enough I could patiently wait until his death would be mine as well. In fact, I felt well enough that I no longer had to tamp down my now sated urges to rip something apart and I slowly opened my side of our bond, while concentrating on her.

Hours had passed since they'd left my office, so I wasn't surprised to feel she was now asleep, but I still took care in showering in one of the empty infirmary rooms before heading back to my chambers.

And smiled again when I ascended the stairs, hearing Sigebert's hummed rendition of my now favorite song, echoing behind me.

I was still going with the 'Don't ask/Don't tell' policy where her uncle was concerned, but didn't feel too concerned myself since I knew she was asleep. Hopefully Pam had been just as creative with her excuses to Sookie as she was when throwing me a party.

"Well…don't you look relaxed?" Pam smiled at me from the couch when I entered my chambers. "I don't think I've seen you this loosened up since…well…since the last time you loosened up Sookie's pussy with your cum."

I smirked – because it was true – and because I knew Sookie's face would be flaming red if she'd heard Pam's unsolicited diagnosis. And because I was in an especially good mood, I flopped down on the couch beside her and pulled her into my side. Kissing the top of her head, I said, "Name it and it shall be yours."

I knew I was likely committing myself to spending the equivalent of the national debt, but I didn't care. It was well deserved.

Without missing a beat, she said, "Convince Sookie you want to watch her experiment with lesbianism."

"And convince her I should be allowed to watch," Phil quickly added.

Had it been anyone other than either one of them, I would be in need of another shower to wash away their blood. But with my arm already around Pam's body, it was easy to toss her across the room where Phil easily caught her, while I replied, "Try giving Phil's lamp a rub and tug and make a wish on what cums out of it because you just wasted your one with me."

I laughed again when she struggled to free herself from his grasp, but he was centuries older and therefore stronger than her, so it was a fruitless exercise.

My night was just getting better and better.

She hissed in his direction and making his own wish – a death wish – he leaned forward too quickly for her to pull back and licked her descended fang, crooning, "You know I like it when you bite."

He finally let go of her – all it took was a well-placed elbow to his poorly guarded apples – and since I had been the recipient of their earlier taunts, I didn't stop myself from saying, "Looks like Ladon is laying down on the job. No wonder the women have no interest in your diminutive dragon."

"Assholes," he huffed with the air that hadn't been expelled from his lungs, "The both of you!" Clutching his applesauce, he rolled out of the chair down to the floor, crying out, "Man down! Man down!"

"Use your finger phone to call someone who gives a fuck." But feeling Sookie startle, I got up from the couch and glared at them both, warning, "Keep your assholery down or I'll have Sookie wish you both onto the sidewalk until dawn. I'm sure the sweaty throng out front, whose antiperspirant has long since lost the battle with their funk, would _love_ to watch your Laurel and Hardy routine."

"Which one is the fat one?" Pam asked, looking back at her partner in slap-dick slapstick. "Because that would be you. Tell me uncle, have you been hunting your meals as they're leaving the fried dough shack again? 'Fresh! Hot! Now!' isn't marketed towards our kind, you know."

The last thing I heard before I shut the door behind me was him pouting out, "But I _like_ them plump and juicy."

Seeing Sookie in my bed – _alone_ – had never been a more welcome sight.

Five more minutes with the other two and I was sure I'd develop that twitch again.

I was stripped of my clothes and under the covers with her within seconds. Even in slumber our bond flared up and warmed me on the inside, just as her body warmed me on the outside now that we were once again skin to skin. My body fit perfectly around hers like two puzzle pieces, with my form curling around her own, not unlike Hund was curled around her head on top of her pillow.

Sookie automatically slid her body into place like she'd been doing it for a lifetime and not just a few days, so I knew she felt it too. She was the yang to my yin. The light to my dark. The sun to my shadows.

Never again could I feel whole without her and any who dared to try and take her from me would die at my hands.

She was mine.

And like a child clutching a doll, I kept a firm hold of my lover and counted her breaths, like I'd counted the pieces of her uncle earlier that night, until dawn finally took me.

**Thanks for reading! **


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